


Shades Of Winter

by TwilightCakes



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: College, F/M, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-20 18:35:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 57
Words: 179,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/588433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightCakes/pseuds/TwilightCakes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SEQUEL TO 'CRUEL SUMMER'. Separated by miles, Katniss and Peeta attempt to keep the love they discovered the past summer at Camp Panem sizzling. They are determined to make it work but long distance relationships are never easy; they must endure Skype dates, weekend visits, and dorm room quickies. Will their romantic misadventures break them or make them stronger? KatnissXPeeta</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to 'Cruel Summer'. You should definitely read that first or this story will NOT make sense. Adult content!

Chapter 1: August 29th

(Katniss POV)

She surveyed her list of options, clicking on the familiar looking icon. There was a pause as her new laptop whirred beneath her fingertips for a few seconds and then the screen popped up. She jumped at the image of herself in the webcam before settling down and chiding herself for being so jumpy.

"Don't be stupid," she muttered.

"What's stupid?"

The voice coming from her monitor made her jump again. She panicked until she realized the voice was Peeta's and the new picture in the Skype box was his face. He grinned at her and waved, his tan face bright. Her heart stuttered in her chest at the sight of him.

"Oh my God, sorry! You startled me!" she laughed. "Aw…is that really you?"

"It's me," he said happily through the screen. They took a second to gawk at each other as the realness of their situation set in. After a whirlwind summer together at Camp Panem, they were attempting a long distance relationship. They had decided that their summer romance was more than just a fleeting thing, so they were attempting to give it a shot. Peeta was in a small, private school an hour away, and she was reaping the benefits of her scholarship at State. Although it was only a little over fifty miles that lay between them, she felt like it might as well have been worlds away. It was nice to see Peeta's smiling face on the screen but she already yearned to touch him. They had said their goodbyes at the end of camp and hadn't seen each other since. She already missed him so badly it hurt and it was still only August; she had spent many nights wondering how this was going to work.

After camp had ended, she had a long week and a half at home before moving back to school. She had used the time to help Prim pick out back to school clothes on an extremely tight budget, pack for school, paint her bedroom, and buy a new laptop. Peeta had been a big factor on the latter purchase; she had come back from camp to discover her old, trusty laptop had finally bitten the dust. She didn't want to haul herself to the school's library every day, for it was halfway across campus. So, Katniss had bitten the bullet and gone to the nearest Wal-Mart to drop a chunk of her hard earned Camp Panem money. The new HP laptop came with more bells and whistles than she was used to, but Peeta had helped her pick out the right one over her mother's borrowed cell phone.

She glanced at the archaic landline phone on her desk and smiled. "You said you'd call first."

"I couldn't wait," he laughed. He waved happily, his blue eyes darting around the screen as he took her in.

"This is so weird."

"Heeeey," he laughed. "I kicked all the guys out so we could talk," he explained.

"I'm not getting naked."

Peeta stuck out his bottom lip.

"That's not why I got Skype, Mellark," she snorted. "So how was move-in week?"

He shrugged. "Same old. We got all the freshmen moved in and did nothing but drink beer for a week."

"Oh yeah?" she asked. "Lots of cute new freshman girls?"

Peeta leaned forward, his blue eyes bright in the light of his computer. "Not as cute as you. Plus, you automatically win because you put out, so…."

Katniss covered her mouth and laughed loudly at the thought. She was glad she had a single this year; she was sure she didn't want a roommate overhearing this conversation. "I'm glad I don't have a roommate."

"Me too. I wish I didn't sometimes."

"Speaking of Mark, where is he?"

"Jock boy? He's at the gym. He'll be there for at least four hours. The football team has scheduled workouts, so I know he won't be back anytime soon. I've just been hanging out with everyone, catching up, you know. It was good to see everyone from last year."

Katniss shifted in her chair as her mind went to a dark place. She remembered Peeta telling her about Cassie that summer and how she had broken his heart. She couldn't help but wonder if he had seen her yet.

"What are you thinking? I can see you've got something on the tip of your tongue."

"Maybe," she hummed.

"You look really beautiful today by the way."

"Flattery won't get it out of me, Mellark."

He shook his head and gave her a flirty smile. "I love it when you say my name. Especially when you said it like I'm in trouble or something."

"Mellark," she quipped again, giving him a saucy wink in the webcam. Peeta giggled.

"Now will you tell me what's clearly on your mind?"

"Oh, fine," she relented, immediately feeling stupid. "Have you um…seen Cassie?"

Peeta's face fell slightly. "Oh, yeah. I was meaning to tell you about that. Guess who she hooked up with over the summer apparently?"

Katniss shrugged.

"My roommate, Mark. So she's been frequenting our dorm often, slutting it up," he said in an annoyed tone.

Katniss frowned. "So she's been in your room?"

Peeta nodded. "Oh yeah. I already walked in on them um…you know," he sighed, rolling his blue eyes. "Lovely, right?"

She felt her stomach sink. Peeta's roommate was now dating the only other girl he had slept with. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. Cassie had broken his heart into pieces last year, but what if he wasn't over her? Katniss' mind pictured Cassie waiting for Peeta naked while Mark was out of town at an away game. There would be plenty of those, after all. What was to stop the wicked slut from attempting to seduce him a second time? Her stomach twisted nervously at the gruesome thought. If the real Cassie was anything like the girl she had built up in her mind, she didn't stand a chance. She would lose Peeta to someone like that for sure.

"Hey," he said softly, calling her attention back. "I can see your face, don't forget. Don't go there, Katniss, okay?"

"I wasn't…." she trailed off, scratching her forehead. It was useless; Peeta could read her like a book. "Okay, maybe I was. Is she…pretty?"

Peeta rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter if she's pretty. I don't love her…or even like her anymore. I love you, alright? Only you. She's just the trashy girl that caught my eye once a long time ago when I was young and dumb and didn't know any better."

"You said you thought you loved her."

"Yeah, because I didn't know what real love looked like. Or felt like. I hadn't met you. You're the one I want, not her."

Once again, Peeta had put her mind at ease with his simple, sweet words. She felt silly for thinking that about Cassie; she was a strong girl who shouldn't worry about inconsequential things like silly sluts who had broken her boyfriend's heart. Peeta had never given her cause to doubt him or worry; she was just being insecure.

She nodded. "I love you too. I'm sorry," she admitted. "I was jealous."

Peeta's soulful gaze watched her through the screen. "I'm sorry. I promise I didn't bring her up to screw with your head or anything, I just wanted to be honest…I figured I'd want you to tell me in that kind of situation."

Katniss shifted in her desk chair, her eyes landing on the only picture of Peeta she had. Madge had taken it the last day of camp and sent it to her in the mail before she had left for school. It was the two of them, standing in front of her cabin. Peeta had his arm around her waist and was grinning at the camera, and Katniss was giving it a sheepish grin. She had felt awkward and out of place having her picture taken with a boy at the time, but she couldn't hide the small squeal of delight she had let slip when she had discovered the picture in her mailbox before school started. It was sitting in a silver frame on her desk. More than once that week she had caught herself gazing at it instead of at her homework. She shook her head and turned her attention back to Peeta.

"No, I would. You're right, Peeta. Can we chalk it up to being an insecure girl?"

He frowned. "But you're no insecure. You're strong and beautiful. Defiant," he chuckled.

"I'm not upset, it's not like you set them up, right?"

"No," he replied with an eye roll. "I don't like her anymore Katniss. I don't even think she remembers we-"

He cut himself off before saying 'slept together', but she knew what he had meant to say. The memory of Peeta's heartache stung for her; she couldn't imagine how he felt watching his former fling cavorting with his roommate.

"Still though…that can't be easy."

Peeta shrugged. "I don't care. Like I said this summer…why have Spam when I can have fillet?"

Katniss stared at him through the monitor, her heart fluttering in her chest as Peeta watched her.

"I mean it Katniss, I love you. Not her. I don't even feel anything anymore when she makes out with Mark…on my futon," he chuckled.

"You're serious?" she asked, laughing nervously. "That would bother me a tiny bit."

"Nah," he said. "She's just…drama. I see that now. I didn't before….I guess it just took meeting the girl of my dreams to help me get over it."

"Stop it," she said softly.

"Stop what?"

"Charming the pants off of me."

Peeta laughed loudly, clapping as his bright blue eyes lit up. "I wish!"

She shook her head at his antics, knowing she would never live down Peeta's wish to 'do dirty things' over Skype. Or the phone. She shuddered to herself at the thought of how silly she would feel attempting phone sex.

"I know you do. I Just….I wish you were here. A lot."

"I do too. But we'll see each other soon," he replied hopefully, his voice growing soft. He gave her another coy look over the monitor.

"Good."

"So do you miss me?"

She nodded. "I do. Do you miss me?"

"Of course I do. You should transfer here," he pleaded.

Wow. He doesn't bullshit around, does he?

"Peeta," she whined, "You know I can't afford your little liberal arts school."

"You're a good student though! There's scholarships and-"

"Peeta, I'm a fair student at best."

"But still! We have one of the best Nursing programs in the state. You know we do…."

She sighed, shaking her head at him. "You wish. Besides, if I went to your school I'd never get anything done! You'd just want me naked all the time."

Peeta sighed, giving her his best puppy dog eyes. "You're right I guess," he laughed. "So I guess the idea of seeing your boobs over Skype is out?"

"Peeta!" she laughed. "What if someone saw?"

He shrugged. "You have the best ones I've seen, show them off."

Katniss rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics. She didn't get why he thought she was so neat, but she would certainly take it. Her time with Peeta had been some of the happiest times in her life. The only other time she had been as happy and carefree as she was now was before her father had passed away. She missed him, but Peeta helped heal that ache that missing him caused.

"So when can you come visit?"

"You're the busy one Casanova, you tell me."

Peeta looked at his planner, flipping through the pages. "Well, this weekend is out because we have rush. Then the next weekend we'll have lots of brotherhood events and crap like that…the weekend after?"

She shuffled through the papers on her desk and picked up her own daily planner and flipped through the pages. She had already marked down when her major exams were, so she wasn't worried about missing anything.

"How about the weekend of September 9th?"

Peeta's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Works for me!"

"It's a date then," she smiled.

Peeta grinned back at her from the screen, his blonde hair shining in the light of his dorm room. "You bet it's a date."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: August 29th (Part II)

(Peeta's POV)

Peeta leaned back in his desk chair after saying goodbye to Katniss. Their Skype session had been too short for his liking, but he knew she had things to do for her first few days back at school. He closed his laptop with a sigh and leaned back in his dorm room's desk chair. He loved being back at school – the parties, friends and even some of his classes were great this year. His general courses were out of the way so he got to study things that actually interested him that year. Junior year was supposed to be his best year yet. But as fun an appealing as all of that was, he still found himself missing Camp Panem.

His tan skin was a reminder of the best summer of his life. But, he knew that would fade along with the burning, wild desire that represented new love to him. Katniss. Her face was at the beginning of every thought he had. The explosion of flame that had lasted them all summer had changed into something else. It wasn't any worse or better, just different. What they needed to focus on now was the steady, reliable flame of true love. Long lasting and secure; that was what they had- he was sure of it. He had never felt about anyone what he felt for Katniss and he knew their love would still burn for each other no matter the distance. There was no denying what a romantic he was. He had come home from first grade claiming to have met his future wife and his father had patted him on the head and told him not to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Would they last over the miles that separated them? He was determined to show her that the distance meant nothing. He pictured a pile of glowing embers and grinned to himself as he flipped his laptop back open. He had an idea and he was going to roll with it. Keep the spark, he thought determinedly.

And that's just what he decided to do. After doing a quick internet search, he selected an appropriate website and began clicking around with excitement. His credit card was burning in his back pocket as he thought of what to send Katniss. Pulling it out, he flipped the credit card over in his hand. This technically wasn't an emergency, but he would simply deal with the consequences of that later. His dad would understand. He was just hitting 'confirm order' when there was a knock on his open door.

"Yeah?" he called distractedly, pulling up his email. Knowing Katniss, he wanted to give her a mysterious head's up as to what was coming for her. Teasing her was the best.

"Hey Peeta."

He winced internally as he turned his head to see none other than Cassie standing in the doorway. Her deep-V-neck tank top left part of her tan stomach showing over the top of her jean skirt. The ensemble left little to the imagination and Peeta immediately brushed it off. Even though the was in love with Katniss and over Cassie, seeing her in person still stung a little. He knew it shouldn't, but….it did.

"Hey," he offered, turning back to his computer. "Mark's at workout. Should be back about four."

"Oh, okay…" she sighed. "He's always so busy."

"Yeah, well…he's on the football team," Peeta said flatly. He didn't mind Cassie being around, but he didn't want to give her the wrong idea. She had broken his heart the year before, and while he had forgiven her he certainly hadn't forgotten. He found it was best to be friendly and polite yet keep her at an arm's length. He loved Katniss but didn't want taunt his still healing heart.

Not taking the hint, Cassie plopped down in Mark's desk chair and gave Peeta a pointed look. "Hey so…can we talk a second?"

"Um, well I'm kinda trying to get ahead on my reading for Finance-"

"-Peeta, this is important. Please?"

He looked up into her blue eyes and his heart twisted in his chest. Even Katniss' love couldn't erase the pain he still felt when he thought of last year after Cassie had used him. Some things took more time than that, he figured.

"Um…sure," he said slowly.

"What were you doing when I came in?" she asked casually.

He shrugged. "Just…sending something."

"Ah," she said slowly. "Listen, I owe you an apology. A few, actually."

Peeta shifted in his chair. "Okay, fair enough."

She leaned forward, crossing her tan legs in a way that would have had him panting last year. He looked at her with a bored expression. "First, I'm sorry you had to see that yesterday."

Peeta winced again, remembering walking in on Mark and Cassie screwing on his futon. The image was burned into his brain and wasn't one he would soon forget. "Um…it's…okay. Gross, but…okay."

Cassie smiled weakly. "Well…we'll put a sock on the door next time or something."

"Great," Peeta said flatly.

"But I also wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for last year. I know things were so crazy and up in the air and-"

"-Wait," Peeta interrupted, "Crazy? No. You tricked me into thinking you actually liked me so that you could use me and then hook up with one of my best friends. There was nothing 'up in the air' about it, Cassie. That's what happened plain and simple."

It was a cop out and he knew it. His emotions from last year came raging back as he thought of how heartbroken he had been to find out Cassie had been after Eric the entire time. Suddenly it all felt like it had gone down yesterday.

"Peeta, listen, seriously! I mean….I didn't know you were like…obsessed with me, I mean Eric told me-"

"Let me cut you off right there," he said slowly. "I had genuine feelings for you. I wasn't obsessed with you, thanks. I thought you had them back and so I pursued…. it. You. Whatever…just don't make this my fault, okay?"

She nodded slowly, tucking her blonde hair behind her ears. "Can we just…truce? I don't want this year to be awkward. I'm with Mark now-"

"-I noticed."

She sighed as her shoulder slumped in frustration. "Peeta, you can't still be mad at me," she pleaded.

He shook his head. Arguing with Cassie wouldn't get him anywhere, not that it mattered anymore. He had moved on to bigger and better things. "I…you're right. I'm not mad anymore. I had no reason to be," he lamented. And he didn't. He loved Katniss with every fiber of his being, and staying angry with Cassie signified that he still had feelings in his heart for her. Which he didn't. Forgiving her would be the final step in moving on and forgetting about the whole thing. "I'm not mad at you anymore. I really…I was just being stupid. I'm sorry; I'm just…not in the best mood."

Cassie gave him a shocked look. "You're not mad anymore?"

"No," he said slowly. "It was last year and…I've moved on. It's alright. Friends?"

She ignored his question. "You've moved on?"

Peeta nodded. "Yeah, I…I guess you could say I met someone over the summer."

Her face fell. "You did?"

"Yeah, her name is Katniss. We were both counselors at the camp I worked at this summer. Why?"

"Oh, um…nothing, I'm just surprised."

Peeta felt a type of smug satisfaction swell up inside of him. She was jealous that he had met someone! He laughed on the inside and nodded. "Yes, I did. She's really great. You would like her," he added. But I guarantee she won't like you, he thought.

Cassie nodded. "Well…um…good for you, Peeta. I didn't want you to spend another semester pining after me!" she joked in a flustered tone.

Peeta lifted his chin and tried to be the bigger person. He knew Cassie; when she was insecure or felt cornered, the claws would come out. He was better than that. "It's alright. Like I said; live and learn. It was no big deal," he said casually. Cassie's blue eyes narrowed a bit.

"Just um…tell Mark I need him. Okay?"

Peeta gave her a small wave. "Will do."

With that, Cassie turned and headed out the door with a huff, her flip flops echoing down the hallway. Their dorm was split; half boys, half girls. Of course Cassie would end up in his dorm, he thought. But that shouldn't matter. Peeta cleared his throat and focused his eyes on the picture of Katniss he had on his desk. He also had a copy of it up on his lofted bed, but that wasn't the point. Seeing his girlfriend's face in a picture did more for him that even the thought of the night he had last year with Cassie.

The blonde girl from his past couldn't hold a candle to Katniss Everdeen.

Much to Peeta's dismay, Cassie invited herself into their room later that night when Mark returned from his workout. The pair had decided to watch movies on his futon. But of course that wasn't what happened; within minutes of the opening credits the pair were all over each other. Peeta popped his headphone in and retreated back to his desk to drown out the sounds of Cassie and Mark making out and groping each other. Propping his chin on his hand, he gazed at Katniss' picture again. She had apparently gotten the picture from Madge, who had mailed it to her after camp. It was the only picture they had together; I need to make her take another one with me when she visits. Leaning over, he circled the date of her visit with his highlighter and stared at it. It just seemed so far away!

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, making him jump. Pulling it out, he grinned widely when he saw it was Katniss on her dorm room's landline.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself," she sighed. "Peeta, I just got a bouquet of roses delivered to me in my dorm room."

"And?"

"And…" she sputtered, sounding absolutely flustered. He grinned. He knew Katniss didn't want him to spend any money on her which only made him want to do it more. She deserved to be spoiled in his opinion.

"And?" he prodded again.

"They're ridiculous! And…well, beautiful," she sighed. "Why did you send them?"

He shrugged. "I missed you. I love you. I was thinking about you. You know, mushy Peeta stuff that Katniss scoffs at," he chuckled. She laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, you know me so well. You don't have to do stuff like this you know."

"Oh, you didn't like them?" he teased.

"Of course I liked them! I' m not an animal; I'm still a girl, I do like flowers."

"So what's your problem, Everdeen?"

"Nothing, I just…I can't believe you did that. I…I've never gotten flowers."

Peeta balked. "You haven't?"

"Well…no. We could never afford them and I've never had a real boyfriend before, so…"

Peeta glanced over his shoulder in annoyance as he heard Cassie moan loudly behind him on the futon. Mark laughed and he heard the sound of a palm against skin in a loud slapping noise. He rolled his eyes.

"What's that noise?" Katniss asked.

"Oh, that," he said. "Company," he said quietly.

"You mean…oh Lord," she sighed. "She doesn't waste any time, does she?"

"No, unfortunately," Peeta sighed. "Is it September yet?"

She laughed. "No, not yet. Will we get to uh…be alone that weekend?"

Peeta grinned. "Why, whatever would we need to be alone for?" he asked with a coy grin, holding the phone closer to his ear. The TV was loud enough and his roommate wasn't paying attention, so he was going to milk this for all it was worth.

"Um…stuff and things," she said quietly.

"What kind of things?"

Katniss gave a choked laugh into the phone. "I'm not going to tell you Peeta! You know."

He sighed. "Please? I could really use it right now."

Katniss laughed and he could practically picture her shaking her head at him. "Are you really having that bad of a day that you need me to tell you what I want to do with you when I get you alone?"

"Dear God, please," he chuckled. "Just a preview?"

"Well," she started, "I want to actually have…relations in a bed. We've never done it in a bed."

Peeta smiled. She couldn't even say the word 'sex'. He had his work cut out for him. "And?"

"Aaaaand….maybe…try…stuff."

"Like…like positions?" he whispered. His mind began to whir with possibilities.

"Maybe…and maybe we could um….well, the bed was as far as I got," she admitted sheepishly. "I just want to be with you…like that…again."

"Oh? Is that all?"

Katniss sighed into the phone. "I know what you're trying to get me to do and it won't work, Mellark."

"Oh come on."

"I'm too…I suck at…being sexy."

Peeta chuckled. "And that just proves that you need to get your eyes checked. You're the best kind of sexy; you don't even know it." He pictured the way her tan, curvy yet muscular body had filled out the two piece Delly had loaned her over the summer. The way her breasts had been just a little too full for the triangle of fabric to hold and a sliver of her skin had poked out of the bottom when she lifted her arms up. He could picture the way it clung to the curves of her ass perfectly when wet. He shifted in his desk chair as his jeans began to tighten. Nervous, he peered around the corner to make sure his roommate and his guest weren't paying attention. They weren't, but he still felt a little pervy for getting turned on with them ten feet away.

"I am not sexy."

"Yes you are. You're incredibly sexy."

"Whatever. I just…I know you want me to…talk dirty, but…I just can't."

"Okay."

Katniss was silent for a moment. "I…I do miss your…body," she relented.

His cock pressed impatiently against his jeans now, begging for attention. Not that he hadn't gotten any lately – Peeta Jr. had gotten the workout of his life the week after camp had ended. He felt like he was twelve years old again and going through puberty he had taken so many hot showers. Without Katniss there was no way to relieve the stress or even hope to.

"You do?"

"Mmmhmm…I mean…I wonder what it would be like to wake up next to you and just be able to spend the day…just together, in bed."

He pictured Katniss sprawled out on his lofted bed, her breasts completely bare and begging for attention. Her dark hair would look stunning against his light blue sheets. He wondered if she would still have tan lines as he licked his lips.

"Tell me more," he prodded with a laugh.

She giggled nervously. "Just the two of us. We'd just order pizza or Chinese or something and do nothing but lie in bed. We'd pretend to watch movies but it would always lead to…well…you know."

He grinned. "I think I do know, yeah. Well when you visit…I can promise you I'll do whatever I can to make this little thought a reality, ok?"

"I'd like that. I'd like to just…be with you," she sighed. "Uninterrupted. And in a bed. In a room…with a lock. And not have to practically jump back into our clothes," she admitted.

"That would be nice," he said slowly. His dick throbbed in his jeans and he knew a hot shower was in his future before bed. Cassie would most likely stay over in their room and he definitely didn't want to quietly whack off with her in the opposite bed with Mark. He shook his head and sighed.

"What will we do with all this naked time?"

Katniss giggled nervously, sputtering into the phone as he shook his head. "Um…I…I…"

"I'll get you to talk dirty yet, Everdeen."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: September 9th

(Peeta's POV)

He scanned the vibrantly colored shelf in front of his line of vision, squinting as all the box covers ran together. There were just so many options...

Ribbed.

Extra Ribbed.

Twisted.

Flavored?

How could a condom be flavored? Wouldn't that taste rather…latex-y?

He didn't know enough about this type of thing he had decided. He definitely needed to call Finnick sometime for some advice. The entire process of selecting a few items for Katniss' visit had been a rather daunting task.

He frowned and selected something that said 'Duel Pleasure'. If sex was involved, wasn't it automatically duel pleasure? He was very confused.

Well, 'Duel Pleasure' it is! At least for this weekend. That sounds good, he thought with a smirk. He placed two boxes in his basket – a variety pack and the duel pleasure. He scanned the shelf with a skeptical look. What else did he need? He added a small package of lubricant. Just in case.

Two weeks had dragged by at a snail's pace, but the time had finally come. Katniss was visiting him that weekend and he wanted to be sure he was absolutely prepared for everything. To say that the last two weeks had drug by was an understatement. He had thought that keeping busy would help and it did somewhat, but he was more than ready for the wait to be over. Mark was at an away football game so he had the room all to himself, and that meant Cassie would hopefully be MIA as well. He had been extra good and done all of his homework and studying that week so that he wouldn't have to waste one ounce of time with anything other than Katniss that weekend. There would be no distractions.

He sighed as he walked the isles of the local Wal-Mart. He had skipped his first class ever that day so that he would be ready to go get Katniss when she called. The drive would be nearly forty five minutes to her school; he was so amped up he bet he could make it in thirty. He missed her so badly it hurt.

When they had said their goodbye at the end of camp nearly three weeks ago, he had known that leaving and embarking on a long distance relationship would be rough. But this rough? His heart constantly ached from missing her so much. He mentally kicked himself for not enjoying their time together at camp more than he did. He hadn't realized how much he would miss her.

Now his mission was to show her how much he had missed her and that she was still at the front of his mind always. He had worked a few days at the bakery for some extra cash that he was now blowing at his local Wal-Mart in preparation for Katniss' visit. So far, his cart consisted of condoms, lube, new pillows, new sheets, bottled water, and a fresh pack of razors. He had some manscaping to do when he got back to his dorm. It had been awhile, after all.

Peeta leaned on the handlebars of his shopping cart and hummed to himself as he wandered the isles looking for anything else he would possibly need. What came in handy for a weekend of marathon sex? He wasn't sure. The opportunity for such an occasion had never arisen so he was quite clueless. The excitement he felt made him want to practically skip through the rest of his shopping trip. He was happy to have the room to himself for the weekend. Cassie and Mark were a practically a staple on his futon always kissing and groping and just generally being disgusting.

He was ready for it to be his turn to be disgusting with someone, he thought with a chuckle. The futon was his and he was ready to stake his claim on it and christen it his way.

Cassie had been in their room almost every single day since the start of the year and Peeta was quickly growing tired of it. He didn't mind her, but that didn't mean he really wanted her around all that often. e found He found himself retreating to the floor's lounge to either call Katniss or write her a letter. He found that was the best way to pass the time when he was irritated or pissed off that they were using his room to bump uglies in. Twice now he had filled five or more college ruled pages with notes to Katniss. He had almost regretted mailing them until she had called after receiving them. She was quite elated and told him she read them every night before bed.

They were making the long distance thing work, but it was still difficult at times.

Satisfied he had everything he needed; he headed to the checkout line. The cashier gave him a few interested looks, but was a guy about his age. He handed Peeta his change and tried to bite back his smirk as he said, "Have a good weekend."

Peeta blushed and nodded. "Will do," he said simply, grabbing his bags.

Not even his embarrassment could cloud over his mood that day. He headed back to his dorm with his purchases and happily began cleaning and organizing. He wanted Katniss to feel comfortable there so she would visit as often as she could. He sanitized every surface, washed the futon cover, did all of his laundry, and shoved Mark's dirty clothes in his closet. Thankfully the upperclassmen's dorms were a bit bigger than the ones he had as an underclassmen, so there was a bit more space than he was used to. It was split into two sides; when walking in, each side of the room had a large desk on either side of the door. Behind the desks were their closets and storage area that acted as a barrier between the beds. Each bed was lofted up about six feet in the air, and underneath Peeta's was a futon. Beneath Mark's lofted bed they had a large area rug, a small fridge and microwave, and of course a big flat screen TV that had belonged to Mark. All in all, it wasn't a bad setup. After cleaning everything and putting away his new purchases, he quickly showered and headed to Katniss' school.

Their time had finally come.

He pulled in the parking spot near her dorm and sighed. The drive hadn't been bad, just longer than he had imagined it would be. He knew he would have to beg some extra gas money off of his dad that month, but his father would understand. The week he had worked at the bakery after camp, his father had drilled Peeta on what Katniss was like.

"Son, you seem distracted. Or out of practice – your icing flowers really need work," his dad teased. He had a twinkle in his eye and was acting goofier than normal. Peeta shrugged and chewed his lower lip as he turned the frosting bag over in his hands.

"Yeah, well…I am distracted. I miss Katniss," He explained.

"Ah," Mr. Mellark hummed. "Missing this girl already? If I didn't know any better I'd say my son has quite the catch on his hands."

Peeta grinned as he pulled a tray of cupcakes out of the oven and shared a knowing look with his father. "I might have, yeah."

Mr. Mellark turned a rare form of serious. "You really did meet a girl this summer, didn't you?"

"Dad!" He stuttered, dropping the cupcakes onto the counter. "What? Did you think I was making her up?

"No! No, I just….I thought maybe it was a summer fling. Just a passing thing….do you…is this serious?"

Peeta nodded, pushing up his sleeves. "Yeah, I think it is. I know it is. I love her."

His father's eyebrows shot up. "Peeta! Wow….true love at summer camp. Reminds me of this time in college-"

"-Dad! No stories, please. I just…I really love this girl and want this to work. She's amazing. And real," he spat, rolling his eyes. His father held up his hands and tried not to laugh.

"Hey kid, I'm just sayin – good for you! If you love her and she loves you back…?"

"She does," Peeta nodded. "We promised to stay together over the school year. Long distance."

"Well, if you two are in love then she must be one top notch girl to have my little Peet's heart, yeah?"

Peeta grinned. It was so like his dad to think that his kids were the cream of the crop. He knew he always had his dad's support. "Yeah dad. She's amazing and beautiful and one of the best people I've ever met."

"Good, son. I'm really happy for you. Do you uh…need to talk about anything…I mean should we-"

"Umm…stop right there dad. Your two older sons beat you to that speech like…ten years ago. And…we kinda already crossed the bridge."

Mr. Mellark's face registered surprise, concern, and then happiness. "To be young and in love. Wow. Shit, I feel old."

Peeta only grinned and shook his head. "Thanks dad. Good advice."

Peeta chuckled to himself at the thought and sighed. His father had patted him on the back before he left for school, slipping a few twenties and a package of condoms into his car's glove box before his mother could see. He loved both of his parents, but his dad had always been the one he had gone to for advice. And cash.

Turning around, he scanned the area after checking his cell phone. Katniss should be coming out of her dorm any second now and he could hardly wait. The state school's campus was about quadruple the size of his small, liberal arts college so he was a bit intimidated. He wished with all his might that Katniss would consider transferring someday to be closer to him, but he knew the chances of that were slim to none. He bounced on his toes as the searing heat of the afternoon sun beat down on top of his head. For a second, he felt like he was back on the dock at Lake Panem about to see Katniss is a wet bathing suit. His groin ached slightly at the thought as he walked a little closer to her dorm. They had Skyped five or six more times over the weeks, calling each other sometimes twice a day, but that wasn't nearly enough for him. Frustrated, he sat on a bench not far from the door and waited. What would they do that weekend? He hoped most of it would be spent naked on his bed, but she wouldn't agree to that.

Right?

He wanted to see her.

Touch her.

Hold her.

Taste her.

He shivered slightly at the thought. He had gotten a little tipsy at a few of his fraternity events last weekend and had a hard time not drunk dialing her. Just to hear her voice would have been enough for him, but that always made him miss her more. The freshman girls he usually drooled over at their end of summer parties had no appeal to him whatsoever; he only wanted Katniss.

As if on cue, the doors to the dorm opened up and made him take notice. Hauling an overnight bag and a light jacket was Katniss. She stopped and squinted in the sunlight, her dark hair shining and her tan face searching the crowd outside as students swarmed the area after their classes had been let out for the weekend. He slowly stood up from the bench and felt himself grin widely as Katniss spied him. Her face changed from a squint to the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

She was more radiant than the sun.

They hurried toward each other, colliding together with a grunt. Katniss threw her arms around Peeta's neck and he hugged her tightly against his body.

"Peeta," she said reverently, squeezing him.

"Hey you. Don't just hug me; kiss me," he whispered, gently grasping her cheeks in his hands. He moved effortlessly down to capture her lips in his, the weeks apart melting away in a second. All of the pain and loneliness of leaving her behind was gone the instant their mouths connected. Katniss laughed against his lips as he kissed her again and again and again and then deep. His tongue probed her mouth, caressing her tongue and just tasting her once again.

"Get a room!" someone called.

Embarrassed, Katniss pulled away with a bright blush and a cough. Peeta shrugged and kissed her one last time to let her know how much he had missed her. One kiss turned into two, two turned into three, and before they knew it they were kissing frantically again in the midst of the constant stream of students coming and going from the dorm. He was completely oblivious, as was she. They were together again and nothing else mattered.

She exhaled sharply and her voice came out hoarse and squeaky. "Is this real? Are you really here?"

He pulled back to nod. "Yes, I'm here. And we get two a half days together."

"That sounds…wonderful. Oh my gosh…I can't believe you're really here!"

Peeta grinned and kissed her temple before hugging her again. "I'll prove I'm real as soon as we get back to my room. You'll never doubt it again," he whispered against her ear. He felt Katniss shiver against his chest before she looked up at him with a coy grin.

"Promise?"

He nodded. "Oh, I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up next: More sex with a dabble of plot. lol. You know you love it.
> 
> Many of you have asked: Yes, this story is based on my real life adventures at college. The ex boyfriend, not so much ; ) Peeta's college is actually the school I went to, and everything I reference as far as the school is real ; )
> 
> Also, many asked about Peeta's dad: in my mind, he is 'played' by Phil in Modern Family. He just seemed like the perfect Mr. Mellark (Minus the fact that his hair is dark). So yeah...if you watch Modern Family, Phil Dunphy is his dad.
> 
> Please review! I love hearing your thoughts! : )

Chapter 4: September 9th (Part II)

(Katniss POV)

After prying their lips apart, Katniss was finally able to get Peeta back to his car. His arm was wrapped around her waist as his free hand happily swung her weekend bag back and forth on the short walk. Students continued to bustle around them as the excitement of it being Friday afternoon got to them. He pressed an excited kiss to her temple and chuckled.

"I can't believe it's finally here! I'm sorry I couldn't get away sooner – you know that, right?"

"I know," she said brightly. She didn't care – all that mattered was that he was there. He had felt awful about not being able to have free time until then, but she understood. "You're busy, so am I. I wasn't just twiddling my thumbs the first two weekends at school either, mister."

Peeta raised his eyebrows as they reached his car. "Oh?"

She snorted. "I got a jump on all my reading and assignments so that I wouldn't have to do them this weekend," she explained.

"I did the same thing," he quipped with a wink, flipping open the trunk. Katniss looked at his car with raised eyebrows.

"This is your car?"

Peeta nodded, unlocking the doors. "Yeah, get in."

Katniss was impressed. Of course she and Peeta had talked about their home lives over the summer, but she didn't know anything about him family's monetary income. Peeta's car was a newer model car that looked practically pristine. Unlike her car at home, it had all its hubcaps and didn't have any spots of noticeable rust. But, it got her from point A to point B in one piece and would most likely still be running when Prim needed it, so she had left it at home for the semester in hopes her little sister could get some driving practice.

"I saved up all through high school to get this. My dad said he would match me dollar for dollar. I guess he didn't think I would save up almost eight thousand dollars working at the bakery since seventh grade," Peeta grinned. "I got this the summer before college."

"Wow…" Katniss said, settling back into the seats. She was impressed that Peeta had managed to save up that amount of money with just his own hard work. But then again, she wasn't. Her boyfriend had a quiet but sure steady determination about him that made her respect him in more ways than one. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

Peeta pulled out of her school's parking lot, cranking the air conditioning up. All around them students were running around, happy that classes were over for the weekend. She didn't feel bad leaving; her single dorm room would stay empty and quiet for the weekend and for the most part would go un-missed. The room served as a cold, impersonal reminder that her school wasn't where she wanted to be. Peeta had asked her several times if she wanted him to just simply spend the weekend there with her, but she had no qualms about leaving.

She wanted to escape her school for a bit and see what could have been.

She had considered Peeta's school back during her junior year of high school because it had one of the best nursing programs in the state – which Peeta had already helpfully pointed out. However, the price tag didn't exactly match her plans. Her mother worked hard to provide for her and Prim all their lives, and Katniss didn't want to make things harder by picking a school that would put even more stress on their family. So, she had sucked it up and attended the state school that had offered her the most in financial aid and scholarships. Peeta had brought up the subject of her transferring schools several times. And truthfully, she had considered it. However, she didn't want the reason she moved schools to be because of a guy, even if that guy was Peeta.

As much as she loved Peeta, she was determined to make sure she didn't change just for the fact that she now had a boyfriend. Love was important, but so was her future. She was Katniss Everdeen: smart, independent, and non-sappy.

Well, sometimes.

Peeta and his flowers and Skype kisses and letters were changing that.

She grinned as he sped down the interstate.

"I can't wait to show you my room…and take you out to dinner! I made reservations at the little Italian place on campus. They have the best food but it's so cheap because they've been in business forever…"

Katniss turned and watched his profile as he rambled on and on about what their plans were for the weekend. In all honestly, she could give a shit what he had planned that weekend, although she would never say it. That would be like kicking a puppy. As long as she got to have him between her legs for most of the next two days she didn't care what happened.

She had missed Peeta, and badly. Their Skype sessions and late night phone calls hadn't been enough for her. As she watched his profile as he sped down the road, she felt herself growing antsy…and wet.

"This week was so long…I thought today would never get here!" he exclaimed his knuckles turning white against the steering wheel.

She clenched her teeth and nodded, noticing the way his still-tan forearms were flexing and bending as he drove. It had been weeks since she had felt this much raw need and she just wanted to run with it. She wanted to explore his body in a locked room, with the lights low and no interruptions. She had spent more than one night since camp fixing that need herself, but she much preferred the heavy, comforting weight of Peeta's stocky form. She was no stranger to the art of self-loving so to speak, but she had somewhat perfected it lately as her feelings of missing Peeta had deepened. She longed for him. His scent, his eyes, the feeling of his hands on her body….To run her hands over his sinewy muscles, down his soft stomach, around his-

"Katniss?"

"What?" she broke away from her sexy reverie, her head jerking to the side. "What did you say?"

Peeta chuckled. "What time do you need to be back here on Sunday?"

"Doesn't matter; anytime is fine, I don't want to keep you from anything."

Peeta laughed. "Nonsense. Well, we can just play it by ear. My Monday morning classes don't start til nine, so if you want to go back later on Sunday night that's alright, I just wanted to…."

She turned her head to look at his profile again as his voice faded away. She wanted to pay attention, she really did. But the way the afternoon sunlight was hitting his face as he drove made it extremely difficult. A few bits of blonde stubble danced across his chin, glinting slightly and fading up into his jaw. Oh the jaw. The strong, angled bone that made his face so beautiful and masculine at the same time was calling to her. Her tongue dipped out and licked her suddenly parched lips.

She wanted to be together, just the two of them.

As smart and independent and non-sappy as she was, she had missed Peeta terribly.

She loved that she could be those things, but also that she could need a person as much as she needed him.

And she did need him.

Her body felt like a coil about to spring as Peeta pulled into his school's parking lot an hour later. He had chattered happily during the entire drive about everything and nothing at the same time. She was growing so impatient she felt like she would explode as he quickly parked his car and grabbed her bag from the trunk.

"Well, here we are!" he exclaimed, walking around to her side of the car. Katniss wasn't listening; she was oblivious to the Friday afternoon activities of the other students. All she could feel was Peeta as he stood in front of her, happily gesturing to the campus around her. "Over there is my dorm, there you have the Quad, and there's where I-"

She cut him off suddenly, her lips smashing against his. Peeta made a surprised noise in his throat before reciprocating, his arms immediately going around her waist. Katniss grabbed the soft, silky curls at the base of his neck and pulled his face closer to hers as she attacked his mouth with hers in an attempt to relay the message that she could get the campus tour later.

Right now, she wanted a tour of the body she had missed so badly the last few weeks. They broke apart and stared at each other with a hurried desire that was almost palpable in the hot September air. Peeta exhaled shakily, his blue eyes dilated and his cheeks tinged with pink.

"Yeah, okay then….yeah," he stuttered, grabbing her bag. They both giggled with excitement as they made their way into his dorm. The upperclassmen's dorm was the only one with an elevator, and for that she was thankful. Once alone inside of it, she attacked him again. Peeta's body made a dull thumping noise as she slammed him against the wall and playfully bit his neck before kissing it. His earlobe was next; she sucked it between her lips and heard him practically growl against her hair. Leaning back, she gave him a wanton look that clearly told him no more talking was necessary until they had completed what was next. Peeta seemed to get the message as they heard the elevator ding signaling his floor.

He grabbed her hand with his free one and ushered her off the elevator. She pressed herself against his back as he fumbled at the door with his keys, his hands shaking as much as hers. It was a nervous, beautiful, playful feeling that was making them both so completely unhinged she could hardly control herself. It was so intense it was making him forget how to use keys. She giggled and reached around to grasp his hand as she helped him put the key into the hole. They both snorted knowingly at their little sexual innuendo as the door swung open. Peeta hurriedly slammed it shut and locked it, dropping her bag haphazardly on the tile floor.

"Is this the futon Mark is screwing Cassie on?" she asked, pointing to the couch.

Peeta nodded a wild look in his eye and a light sheen of sweat sprinkled across his brow. Katniss took a deep breath before yanking her flowy tank top over her head. Peeta's eyes grew darker as the nervous, sexy energy from the car seemed to fill the room up again until it was hard to breathe. She kicked off her shoes and reached for the button on her jeans. "Good."

Peeta flew at her.

They landed on the futon with a wild laugh and were suddenly a flurry of hands and flying clothes. The air conditioning hit her bare skin and made her body tingle and break out into goose bumps. Or maybe it was the way Peeta rose up on his knees to yank his shirt off over his still-tan chest. Her hands found the expanse of skin and ran over it, re-familiarizing herself with his body. The pent up sexual need bubbled up in her chest as he watched a lock of his curly hair fall into his eyes. That was it, she decided. She couldn't be held accountable for anything she said or did that night. With a grunt she grabbed him and flipped him into a sitting position on the futon. Katniss wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from; as much as she missed Peeta, she didn't think she would be straddling him naked on his futon in the broad daylight, but she didn't seem to have any qualms about it now.

"Do…oh God, um…" he stuttered, his hands finding her hips. It was cute the way he got breathlessly flustered before sex. It was the one time Peeta Mellark was at a loss for his beautiful, charming way with words and she loved that she could do that to him. She lowered herself onto his bare lap and started lavishing his neck with kisses. An animalistic need surged through her body and made the apex between her thighs flood with wetness.

"Foreplay later. We have all weekend…I just need you," she said quickly. Wow where did that come from? She thought with a smirk. His body was hot and ready and beneath her as she hovered over him on the futon.

I bet Cassie fucks that Mark guy right here. Right on this futon. His futon. I want to make this place ours, not theirs.

Her jealous, possessive thoughts grew hazy as Peeta reached around to the small table beside the futon and pulled out a little orange package. Katniss reached forward and kissed him roughly, running her hands down his arms in an encouraging manner. He grinned up at her with a boyish charm that made her fall in love all over again as he tore the package open with his teeth. When he was ready, he looked up at her with a silent question.

Ready?

She nodded wordlessly, her throat too tight to even form words. This was new – daylight, a locked door, her on top – all of it. But as she lowered herself onto his waiting arousal it felt like home. They both groaned in unison as their bodies effortlessly melted together, their hands finding each other as anchors. He held onto her for dear life. Katniss opened her eyes to see the hazy shade of baby blue in Peeta's. His head had fallen back against the back of the futon as she lowered herself further down and let her weight rest completely on top of him. Her body throbbed with the urge to move and just do it already, but she stilled.

"I missed you," she whispered, leaning forward with her hands still grasping his. Tiny beads of sweat had formed between them, making them slick. She kissed his bottom lip lightly as Peeta's hips gave an involuntary roll. She made a purring noise she didn't even know she was capable of before taking his hands that were still linked with hers and resting them on her hips. The newness of the position made her nervous and unbearably excited at the same time. "Show me?"

He nodded, exhaling against her chest. His strong, thick hands grabbed her waist harder and slowly pulled them forward. Katniss' toes curled as his hips lifted slightly off the futon and filled her to the brink.

She was full of him and it was positively exquisite.

"Peeta," she gasped, unable to stop herself. She didn't need to, she reminded herself. They could be loud if they wanted; it would be annoying to his neighbors and all, but in that moment she discovered she truly just didn't give a fuck.

Peeta's hands gripped her hips as she leaned forward and moved slowly on top of him. He surprised her by leaning forward and capturing her nipple in his lips and sucking lightly. Her chest moved closer to grant him better access because fuck if that didn't feel like heaven. He moved slowly, tortuously slowly between the two, paying attention to one before lavishing the other. His warm tongue played and teased and felt amazing as he coaxed her nipples to stand at attention. Katniss felt herself grow even wetter and her hips moved forward jerkily as Peeta lightly bit down on one of her tips. She gasped raspy and began to move faster. He groaned in appreciation as she squeezed her muscles against his already throbbing cock. It just felt so good. She imagined this was what a drug addict felt like getting another hit. The raunchy thought made her insides tingle with pleasure. Peeta's head fell back against the futon again with his eyes squeezed shut but she wanted to see his blue eyes as he came undone.

Her hands moved to grab his head, her fingers easily weaving into his curly locks. Her palms could feel the sweat that was forming against his temples and it made her want to explode. Instead, she moved her hips against his and whispered, "Look at me."

His eyes opened and she was greeted with a lusty shade of blue that made her want to gasp in appreciation. "Katniss," he groaned.

"I need you so much," she whispered. "I need you."

Peeta let out a deep, throaty groan at her words as his body grew rigid. Disappointment surged in his eyes, but she didn't care that she hadn't finished. It had been fast, but that was what they needed. She slowed her movements and let his hands guide her as she steadily helped him ride out his release.

"Katniss, I….I'm sorry, I…you just…"

The only word to come to her mind was overwhelmed.

"Shhh," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his damp forehead. "You'll make it up to me later."

He gave her a breathless grin and could only nod. It was going to be one hell of a weekend.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: September 9th (Part II)

After everything he had dreamed of for the past three weeks, they were finally there.

Bliss was the only word that came to mind as he glanced down to watch his length slide in and out of Katniss' exquisite body. He didn't think he would ever tire of seeing that. She clenched against him, eliciting a moan from his throat that sounded like a plea. A plea he wanted to quench. She threw her hands across his back as he hovered over her. Angling his hips, he hit a spot deep within her that made her drag her nails down his skin like she had that summer. The red, angry marks on his shoulder blades had been difficult to hide but well worth the cost.

"Oh…fuck," he slipped, wincing in pleasure. Looking back up, he was met with Katniss' dark hair splayed across his futon. He had stealthily slipped her hair tie off the end of it almost an hour ago, and now the tidy braid she kept it in looked more like a wild rat's nest. A light sheen of sweat decorated her collar bone as their bodies joined together for the third time that day. Determined to make up for the quickness of their first romp, he slid his free hand down her stomach and circled the nub between her legs. Katniss' eyes flew open and met his with a lust-ridden gaze.

"Oh my God," she gasped, arching her back. He used the slick pad of his finger to tease her further, making her cry out loudly and writhe. He laughed against her skin and slowed his movements as he attacked one of her dark pink nipples with his mouth. His tongue danced around the swollen peak, making her pant up at the ceiling.

"I'm gonna….ung," she finished with a hoarse cry, her words failing her. Peeta continued stroking and rubbing until he was sure she was spent. Then, he hooked her leg around his hip and moved towards his own release. She bit his shoulder as he came, his hips jerking against her body with a pleasing slapping noise. His head fell forward to rest on her sweaty chest, both of them breathing rapidly. After a few moments he raised his head up and looked at her with a lopsided grin.

"What?" she chuckled, running her hand over his sweat-drenched hair.

"I think we missed our dinner reservations."

Katniss burst out laughing. "Aww! And I'm famished."

Peeta gently rolled off of her and collapsed on the futon they had turned into a bed. After their first quick romp, they had rested and put it down into a flat position. The lights were off except for his small desk lamp and the blinds were drawn, and they had been at it again within an hour. Katniss rested on her side and gazed over at Peeta. The blanket was only pulled up to her hip, leaving her top half exposed. Peeta was propped up on his elbow not even pretending not to stare.

"See something you like?" she asked. She was practically hoarse from all the moaning and screaming she had done the past few hours she thought with a smile. Peeta wiped his damp hair away from his eyes and gave her a coy grin. The guys next door probably hated him by now, but he didn't care. The moaning, screaming and panting had been worth it. Every time they did it, sex just seemed to get more fun.

"I think I do," he replied slowly. He leaned forward, drawing his lips across hers in a languid kiss. They broke apart and she rubbed her lips together, savoring how swollen and chapped they felt. She secretly loved that; it meant she had been kissing Peeta too much. Or just enough.

She laughed to herself as Peeta took another exhausted breath. "Tired?"

He shook his head. "Just getting started, actually."

The electricity seemed to crackle between them as they gazed at each other in post coital bliss. Katniss moved her legs forward, intertwining hers with his. It felt ten times more amazing than she could have ever imagined lying there next to him like she was. There was no hurry; no rushing to throw her clothes back on. The door was locked, the blinds were closed, and they had all weekend to bask in one another.

"I love this," she admitted. She reached across the small space between them and ran her fingertips down his strong, muscular arm. Peeta shivered slightly at the contact, a lopsided grin gracing his features.

"You love what?"

She glanced between them, the sheet shifting off his hip. "This. Being here, together. Naked. Having the entire weekend to do just this."

Peeta answered with a growing smile. "I missed you."

"I missed you," she repeated. "What time is it?"

Peeta glanced behind him at the clock on the wall and did a double take. "Holy shit, it's after nine!"

Katniss snorted into a pillow, her laugh echoing against the walls. "Did we just screw for over three hours?"

Peeta dropped his head back into the pillow and let out a guttural laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Holy shit, we did. Wow….high five on that, that's just…wow," he laughed, slapping her a high five. Katniss was shaking with hoarse giggles as she tried to sit up and pull the sheet over her.

"What do we do now? I'm assuming we really did miss our dinner reservations?"

Peeta covered his eyes with another chuckle. "Um, yeah, by about two hours. How…."

"It's alright, some other time," she assured him.

"What about food? Are you hungry?"

"Famished. I totally wasn't kidding earlier. You need to feed me. How about we get something we can eat whilst naked?" she suggested in her best sexy voice. Peeta tried not to laugh.

"Whilst? Um, alright. Pizza alright?"

"Sounds delightful."

He stood up and pulled his boxers back on, ignoring her playful cat call. Tossing her a little grin over his shoulder he grabbed the menu from the front of his mini fridge and handed it to her. "I'm a horrible boyfriend; I don't even know what you like on your pizza."

"Cheese and Pepperoni."

Peeta nodded with satisfaction. "I knew I loved you."

An hour later, Peeta was fully dressed and paying the delivery guy as Katniss sat on the futon behind the wall wrapped in a sheet. They both snickered as he shut the door and dropped the pizza in the middle of the folded out futon and began stripping down again.

"You're totally getting naked again aren't you?" she laughed.

He grabbed two bottles of beer from his fridge and handed one to her. "I've never gotten to have pizza and beer naked, so yes. Much less with you, so…definitely yes. Besides; you're still naked."

"Mmm, very much so in fact," Katniss eyed him as he stripped; watching the light blue boxers hit the floor. His blonde hair was disheveled and wild from their marathon romp and she imagined she looked quite a mess too.

"This looks…better than sex," she joked, picking up a gooey slice of pizza. Peeta chortled to himself as he slid back under the sheet and helped himself to a piece. They chewed in silence for a minute and she grinned.

"What?"

"You have a cute butt," she said after swallowing. Peeta's face turned a little red as he chewed.

"So do you," he said quietly, flashing her a little grin through his food. Katniss grinned and took another slice. She watched as Peeta ate happily, his eyes avoiding hers suddenly.

"What are you making that strange face for?" she asked.

"Nothing, I just…it's nothing."

"Tell me."

He snorted as he finished chewing and swallowed. He gave her a shy grin and looked down at his food. "That was fun earlier when…um…" he cleared his throat, "you were…on top."

"What do you mean?" she asked, feigning confusion. She wanted to hear him say it.

Peeta's cheeks turned practically crimson.

"What was I doing Peeta?"

He shook his head and tried not to laugh. "When you were uhm…um…uhridingme," he said quickly, running his words together. His bright eyes moved up to look at her sheepishly.

She burst out laughing. "You pretend to be such a badass but you blush and say these things…oh Peeta," she giggled. "I love you."

He chucked a pepperoni at her playfully and shook his head in embarrassment. "You're lucky I love you, woman. Embarrassinggggg."

"No, Peeta, it's fine. I'll ride you anytime if it means you buy me pizza afterwards; that's my favorite form of payment."

"Shut it," he laughed, grabbing another slice. "You suck, Everdeen."

Katniss bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Oh do I?"

He nodded sarcastically. "You do. Very well, I might add."

She watched him eat for a few moments, amused by how shy he was suddenly. "Spit it out, Peeta."

His eyes flicked up to meet hers as he sat up on the futon and pulled the sheet over his lap. "I….can we try like…different stuff this weekend?"

"Like what?"

"Positions," he mumbled.

An excited feeling shot through her at the idea. Of course she knew people had sex in all kinda of different positions. She had even snuck a peek at a book once when she was at Barnes and Noble waiting for Prim to spend a gift card a few years ago. The curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had done more than just peek, but that was another story. Her mind could still conjure up the pictures of the couples twisted and bent in all different directions. It looked slightly intimidating but….fun. Her own cheeks turned a little pink at the thought of doing that with Peeta.

She quirked an eyebrow. "You bored of me already?"

"No! no, no-"

"-I'm teasing, Peeta."

"Oh, well…no, not bored at all. I just…when you were…doing what you were doing earlier on top of me," he muttered shyly, "I just liked it. It made me want to…experiment. I mean...I love you and I think it would be fun to just like…try different positions and stuff."

She bit into her new slice and cocked her head to the side. "I think we should. I mean…if you want to."

"Yes," he answered quickly. "I really do."

She grinned and laid down on the futon so that the sheet fell down slightly to expose her bare breasts again. She could feel Peeta's eyes on her at he took a sip of his beer. She did the same, eyeing him.

"We've got a lot to learn, Mellark."

After eating and getting dressed, Katniss asked Peeta where she could go take a shower. The day's long activities had made her sweat more than once, and she needed to brush her teeth anyway.

"The stairs are right around the corner; just go down one flight and that's a girl's floor. Bathrooms are right there," he explained. She took her pouch of toiletries and pecked him quickly on the lips before going to complete her nightly routine. When she stepped onto the girls' floor, she couldn't help but think to herself this is where I might live if I went to school here. A quick, fleeting pain sliced through her heart as she realized that could never happen. Peeta's private school had almost triple the price tag hers did. Attending the same school as him simply wasn't in the cards for her.

With a sigh, she threw open the door to one of the shower stalls. The showers there were much nicer than the ones at her state school. Instead of just a regular shower, it had a door like a bathroom stall and a little enclosed space with a bench for her toiletry pouch and robe. She quickly changed out of her clothes and pulled back the curtain to reveal a surprisingly large white shower.

"Nice," she mused, turning on the water. She washed her hair and re-shaved her legs and all the important places, taking her time under the hot steams of water. One of the things she loved about college was always having more than enough hot water to take however long a shower she wanted. Her muscles were a little sore and out of practice; Peeta had given her quite the workout. She leaned against the wall and smiled to herself as she remembered the way he had looked up at her as she had ridden him earlier that day. Their reunion sex had been exquisite and explosive, just as she thought it would be. The look in his eyes had been of pure lust and adoration as they came undone together once again.

Eager to get back to him, she shut off the water and dried herself off, pulling on her white fluffy robe. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, carefully combing out her dark, tangled hair. It had an annoying amount of tangles in it from spending so much time on her back earlier that evening. A smirk slowly crept onto her face as she stared at herself in the mirror.

The door to the bathroom opening up startled her. She had been completely alone until now, and shared a polite smile with the girl as she staggered to the sink.

"Hey," the girl said drunkenly. "I need to brush my teeth."

Katniss watched as she giggled slightly to herself and wet her toothbrush. "Good plan."

"Hey, do you go here? You don't look familiar," she said through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Katniss shook her head as she began braiding her hair into a side braid. "No, I'm visiting my boyfriend. I'm only here for the weekend."

The girl laughed again and gave her a thumbs up. "Oooh, nice. Booty call, huh? Well I hope he made it worth your while!" she giggled.

Katniss couldn't help but laugh a little at the tipsy girl's antics. "Yeah, he did. He really did," she admitted. "He's amazing."

"Well," she said, swaying a little as she spat her toothpaste, "nothing is better than a bunch of sex. And don't I know it!" she slurred. "Who is your boyfriend?"

Katniss spoke without thinking. "Peeta Mellark."

The girl stopped and froze, her blue eyes darting up in the mirror. "I knew you looked familiar," she said slowly, recognition dawning in her expression.

"I'm sorry?"

The girl straightened up and gave her a once over, her demeanor turning surly. She stuck out her hand and raised an eyebrow. "I'm Cassie. Nice to meet you, Katniss."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: September 9th (Part IV)

(Katniss POV)

Katniss was too shocked from seeing Cassie – the Cassie – to even say anything to Peeta when she returned to his dorm room. She had fled the bathroom and managed not to say anything embarrassing, but just barely. Peeta looked up and gave her a warm smile as she closed the door to his room. Should she tell him what had happened? She wasn't sure. Her entire life, girls like Cassie had the upper hand with her. In high school she was the poor girl who barely spoke who basically got ignored. Of course she would fantasize about one day giving the rude, popular girls that unknowingly terrorized her with their haughty looks and whispers. But that was just that – a fantasy. Each time she had gotten pissed off or teased behind her back she could never work up the nerve to say anything. Being invisible had been easier than being a target.

But that was then. This is now. You're not that girl anymore. Way to run away with your tail between your legs, Katniss. You sure showed her, she berated herself as she walked over to the futon. Peeta moved over so that she could have room. It would be easy to tell him that she had met the Cassie, but what would that do? She had so little time to spend with him it seemed fruitless to bring it up.

Instead, she curled up next to him on his futon and quickly finished the rest of her beer. The heady liquid slid down her throat and gave her a tiny buzz that made her feel slightly better about things.

"How was your shower?" he asked, pulling her into his arms. "Don't change, just come here. " He nuzzled his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. "Why do you always smell amazing?"

"It was good, and I don't either," she laughed, relaxing against him.

"No, you always smell like…green apples and….fruit."

"I'm a girl, it's what we do."

"And you do it well," he teased. She relaxed against his chest and sighed, satisfied she had made the right decision. He channel surfed until he came to 'Dirty Dancing'. He gave her a sideways glance and she nodded knowingly, rolling her eyes.

"You would like this movie, Peeta."

He shrugged, leaning his head against hers. "I just like how Patrick Swayze is so…oblivious but deep. His character is so good in this role," he sighed, tossing her a pleading glance.

"We can watch it," she said finally. They curled together on the plush futon and watched the movie, but Katniss was only halfway watching. Instead of paying attention to the sexy movie on screen all she could think about was Cassie. She knew Peeta would be completely honest about her if she asked, but did she really want to be that type of girlfriend? The one who second guessed the guy who had never given her even an inkling of doubt or insecurity? Not particularly. She didn't classify herself as a jealous girl. And she didn't want to be. But Peeta's clean cut, boyish face was bound to attract attention and she should learn to accept it without flying into a jealous rage. Being like that would surely make their attempt at a long distance relationship crash and burn.

Her mind fought the rational versus the irrational as the movie played on. Peeta hummed along with the soundtrack oblivious to her internal battle. His fingers wound themselves with hers, playing mindlessly as the familiar music drifted in and out of her thoughts.

On the other hand, she had seriously underestimated Peeta's former lover. She scoffed quickly at her own choice of words: lover. He had made it clear that no love had been shared between them whatsoever. He had lusted after her and slept with her once in a moment of weakness nearly a year ago. Should she still feel insecure about that? Her mind told her no, but her heart still was. Even though she knew Peeta adored her it still stung to meet the beautiful girl who had his heart first. Even drunk the girl had been a vision. Blonde, wavy curls past her shoulders, a perfect tan, a thin waist and huge breasts. Glancing down at her own chest, she chewed her lip.

She knew she would need to get over it and move on. She had never been insecure or petty, and she didn't want to start now. Instead, she kissed Peeta's cheek and snuggled against him. He was sitting with his back propped up against some pillows against the side of the futon with Katniss resting between his legs. A light blanket was draped over them as the cool air conditioning kept the room just chilly enough to make cuddling worthwhile. It was clear they were both utterly spent and sated from their day together, so Katniss was absolutely shocked when Peeta's interest started to wander.

It all started when the characters on screen were sharing a steamy romantic scene. Katniss was still in her fuzzy robe leaning against his chest when one of his hands started to wander. He had been playing absently with her hair when it suddenly dropped down to her shoulders. She shuddered in pleasure as his hand lightly massaged her neck and shoulders, alternating between sides. Before she knew it, her head had fallen backwards against his chest and her eyes were drooping shut. He shifted slightly and let his other hand join in the action as she rested her back against his chest. Together his hands worked against her skin, kneading and pushing it until she felt nothing but complete relaxation and bliss.

"This feels so good," she whispered against the skin of his neck. Peeta laughed throatily.

"Just wait."

She inhaled slightly as his hand slid down further, pushing her robe to the side. His fingers slid languidly over her breast, palming it gently. She let out a quiet moan and felt her body melt against his as his other hand slid lower. It stayed under the cover of her robe, sliding slowly down her body like a serpent. Peeta's breath was hot against the outside of her ear as his hand dipped below the waistband of her panties. Katniss groaned in pleasure, ignoring the slight embarrassment she felt for already being so wet. It wasn't like her to be this needy for someone and she felt slightly like some wanton harlot.

A wanton harlot that desperately wanted Peeta's fingers against her again.

"Peeta," she whispered, turning her face against his. He gave her another slow, deep kiss in answer before breaking away and chuckling to himself.

"Just enjoy it," he said quietly, his breath raspy against her hair. Katniss sunk deeper between the valley of his legs, her back against his chest as his middle finger finally dropped to where she wanted it. He circled her clit and made her gasp and curl her toes against the armrest of the futon. He made another swipe against her center and pinched her nipple at the same time. Her robe fell to the side exposing her naked body, but she couldn't be bothered to worry about that when Peeta was driving her towards the cliff of release so quickly.

Her mind moved through the rush of feelings being so exposed and yet so comfortable gave her. All of this was still new and terrifying but Peeta gave it a sense of familiarity and comfort that she knew she needed. As wonderful as this experience was, her mind also went other places.

Was he like this with her?

Of course not, she thought. Don't be silly.

He wasn't like this with her, ever.

And he never would be.

His fingers worked faster, moving down to slip past her folds. She felt his body shift behind her and lean up to gain better access. His fingers curled forwards, curving at just the right angle to make her cry out.

His neighbors would hate him, but she didn't care.

"Oh…oh God," she said through gritted teeth. Peeta stroked her confidently, his hand still palming her breast. She could feel how hard he was against her back, but that would have to wait. The pads of his fingers hit that spot again and made her toes curl.

He was doing this to her, not Cassie.

He was making her come, not Cassie.

She was his and he was hers, and that was all that mattered.

She bit his shoulder and came against his fingers, falling against his chest with a contented sigh.

Katniss woke the next morning snuggled between the cool cement block wall and Peeta. He had insisted on sleeping on the outside of the lofted bed like a gentleman and she had obliged. She had never slept in a lofted bed before, and the five foot gap between the bed and the floor looked unpleasant. Peeta had only laughed and agreed.

"You awake?" he asked, lifting his head up. She rolled her chin on his chest and looked him sleepily in the eye.

"Hi," she croaked.

Peeta grinned. "Hi."

They gazed at each other for a moment before he finally sat up and pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. "I'm gonna shower. I stink like latex and…well, sex. Not that I'm complaining, but…people might start to ask questions."

She laughed as he sat up and crawled down the ladder.

"Good idea."

"We can get breakfast when I get back. Cafeteria alright?"

She nodded sleepily and rubbed her eyes as Peeta grabbed his basket of shower things and a clean towel. She heard the familiar sound of flip flops against the tile floor and the click of the door. Figuring she should get up, she slid down from the bed and stretched. The sleep she had gotten while curled against Peeta had been wonderful; she wished she could sleep like that all the time. Her eyes glanced at the futon which was a rumpled mess. She tossed the empty pizza box and folded up the blanket from the night before, tucking it neatly across the back. Her cheeks flamed for a moment when she spied her robe discarded on the floor. After Peeta had made her climax several more times, she had been utterly spent. She had barely gotten into a pair of his sleep shorts and a one of his t-shirts before promptly passing out on his chest while snuggled in his comfortable bed.

Peeta's skilled hands had made her temporarily forget about her run in with Cassie in the bathroom the night before, but now all of her feelings came rushing back. After mumbling an awkward 'hello' to her after learning her name, Katniss had hurried back to Peeta's dorm and said not one word. She had been unprepared to run into Peeta's former love interest in the bathroom, and now Cassie had the upper hand in this situation. Which brought her to another problem: what would she do if she ran into her again?

Rushing to her bag, she quickly pulled out the little address book that went with her everywhere as a result of not having a cell phone. She flipped to the last page of the book where all of her Camp Panem bunkmates had scribbled down their names, cell phone numbers, and email addresses. With a groan, she picked up Peeta's dorm room landline and quickly dialed the number. She needed advice for this type of situation, and as much as she needed it she was still dreading the call.

Johanna picked up on the fourth ring right before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?" she asked sleepily.

"Jo? It's…its Katniss. Are you awake?" she asked awkwardly, glancing at the clock. It was past nine on a Saturday, so she figured she would at least be somewhat awake, right?

"Shit…"

There was the sound of glass clinking, a few mutters from someone beside her, and then the sound of a screen door slamming. "Sorry, I'm at Thom's place for the weekend."

"Oh…shit, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to-"

"Nah, nah Everdeen, I'm sneaking a smoke on his back porch, calm your tits. We just got in about two hours ago. For the love of all that is Holy; you have me up, now talk."

"Oh, um," Katniss gulped, "I just had a um-"

"Spit it out."

"I'm at Peeta's school for the weekend, and…..I met Peeta's ex last night in the bathroom."

She heard Johanna exhale sharply. "Fuck me."

"Well…n-not his ex really, just…."

"One of his past fucks, eh?"

"Jo," Katniss chided her. "They…did it once, he was really hung up on her and….that's in the past but it was weird."

Johanna laughed so loudly Katniss had to hold the phone away from her ear. She was starting to regret her decision to call her mouthy friend from Camp.

"I didn't call you to get laughed at, you know."

"Right, right. So what happened? Did you slap her? Drag her from the bathroom by her hair, what?"

"No," Katniss said quickly. She had never fought a girl and never planned to. Of course she had pictured the scenario in her fantasies, but it had never come to fruition.

"Jo…"

"What?"

"It was…weird. I didn't know what to do or how to handle it."

"I get it. That chick had your man first and you're jealous."

"Well...yeah," Katniss finally admitted. "What can I do?"

Johanna exhaled again and Katniss heard the sound of a lighter. "Nothing you can do. Guys are guys. You can't control where his dick was before he met you."

"I know that," Katniss said petulantly. "I just want to know how to handle her."

Johanna chuckled. "And so what, you called me?"

"No one ever gets to you, I just thought-"

"Slow down, Everdeen. People get to me all the fucking time. I can't stand most of them. But think about it: that's what they want."

"Want what?"

"To get to you. People do shitty things to other people to get a reaction. If they didn't get one, what fun would it be?"

"None, I guess."

"Exactly. She already had his dick; don't let her take your pride with it. Give her a mindfuck!"

Katniss paused. "What….exactly is a mindfuck?"

"Next time you see her, let her know she didn't get to you. Be nice to her."

"Be nice to her?"

"Yes. She's expecting you to act crazy and bitchy to her, admit it."

"Right."

"So don't give her the satisfaction. That's what she wants is to know that she's gotten under your skin and pissed you off. Shit, pretend the fact that she had him first turns you on and act like you can't take your hands off of him. Bitch will want what she can't have and it will drive her nuts!"

"But I don't want her to have him."

Johanna barked out a loud laugh. "I know that, brainless. Listen, I've seen enough pussywhipped guys to know when one is eating out of the palm of your hand. Peeta is that guy. I'm assuming he's still getting plenty of ass from you, right?"

"Well…when we can, yeah."

"Fine. Peeta won't cheat."

"I didn't accuse him of that!"

"No, but you were worrying about it, admit it. Peeta won't cheat; he doesn't have that type of brain. Now most of the time being a guy trumps that type of thinking, but not in Peeta's case. You've got him wrapped around your finger and as long as you treat him well and give him what he needs, he's the type that isn't easily led astray."

"You…you seem to know him really well," Katniss admitted with a shaky laugh.

Johanna exhaled into the phone again. "What can I say; we had heart to hearts with each other when my girls were in his cooking class. He's chatty. I know the guy; he won't cheat. So the next best thing is to not let this bitch win by acting insanely jealous. Besides, that's a fucking turnoff."

Katniss sighed against the receiver. "I just don't know if I can do that. I'm not into games."

"You're a chick. Doesn't matter if you are or not – this is a game and you need to win. You already have the upper hand – you've got the man. Now let her know you own him, not her."

Katniss thanked her friend and hung up seconds before Peeta returned from his shower. As they got dressed for the day, Katniss thought about what Johanna had said. If she were in Cassie's shoes, she had to admit that Johanna's advice of being nicey nice would make her crazy. And every other piece of advice she had gotten from her friend was good. It was all sex advice, albeit, but she had never steered her wrong. Her mind thought back to how Johanna would make flippant, funny comments to Glimmer over the summer that would rile the blonde girl to no end while Johanna simply laughed and pointed. It didn't even seem like it was that difficult.

Maybe Johanna knew what she was talking about.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: September 10th

(Katniss POV)

When Peeta got back from his shower, they both dressed and walked hand in hand the short distance to the cafeteria. Peeta had one in the basement of his dorm, but swore this one made better food so that was where they went. She didn't mind though; the small, liberal arts school was easily on of the prettiest campuses she had ever seen. The old brick buildings were nicely kept up, reflecting their age and classic architecture. Students moved about, their pace slower and more relaxed as they went about their Saturday morning business. The fall air had a hint of a chill to it, but it was quickly overridden by the bright sunlight streaming through the still-green trees. Peeta shuffled along in his jeans and flip flops, linking his arm with hers with a smile.

"Your school is beautiful," she said, observing another beautiful building as they walked past.

"It is nice, isn't it? Half of what drew me here was the exterior," he admitted lightly. "That and small class size."

"Right," she added skeptically. "Isn't this a bit of a party school too?"

He shrugged as they walked across the freshly mown quad that was located in the middle of campus. The smell of the newly cut grass wafted into her nose, making her miss summer. He led her into a building marked 'Student Center' to a large cafeteria. After selecting what they would eat, Katniss watched as Peeta swiped his student ID and quickly paid for both of their meals before she could protest.

"I brought money," she interjected.

He waved her off and grabbed her elbow, leading her to the tables outside. He selected a table in the sun, pulling a chair out for her before plopping down into the one across from it.

"It's alright," he insisted.

"But I did bring money for food this weekend," she argued again. "Can I maybe get dinner tonight?"

He wrinkled his nose at her and gave her a funny look. "But you're my guest. And I'm the guy," he added with a wink. His hand slid under the table and squeezed her knee until she smiled.

"You can't always be paying, Peeta."

He smirked at his plate and shrugged. "I paid for it with my student quick cash, its fine. My dad puts money in it for food and this is food."

"But-"

Peeta held up his hand to silence her. "But nothing. It's not a big deal Katniss. Besides, if he knew I used it to buy you breakfast he would be doubly happy, okay? He wouldn't care at all."

She sat back in her chair and watched as Peeta happily dove into his cereal. He talked about his dad a lot when they talked on the phone, and he had mentioned him quite a few times during the summer so she knew they were close. She still felt awkward knowing Mr. Mellark likely paid for her breakfast that morning. She didn't want Peeta to think she was only dating him because he bought her things.

"Will you just eat?" he laughed. "Seriously, it's just breakfast."

"I still feel weird," she admitted.

"Why? My dad would love you."

"Does your dad know…about us?"

Peeta nodded. "Oh yeah. He knows we're serious and stuff. He's already asking me if you're coming home with me for Christmas. He's planning on it, actually. "

"He did? He is?"

She hadn't even seriously thought about Christmas break yet. Peeta's family was already wondering if she would be spending part of it with them? That she hadn't expected.

"Yeah. I mean…he's more psyched than anyone that I have a girlfriend. He's kinda like my personal fan club," he chuckled. "My dad is awesome. Best dad there is."

"And your mom?"

Peeta grimaced a little. "She's alright."

Katniss shifted as she watched Peeta's face change. He had mentioned his mother at camp and she had gathered that she wasn't the world's most pleasant woman. It was a topic he generally avoided.

"Elaborate," she said simply.

Peeta took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "She's fine I guess. More reserved than my dad, pretty uptight. Control freak. I love her, I just….feel like I could never live up to her standards."

"Why is that?"

"She came from a lot of money, so she was raised differently than my dad was. My dad's family was normal or whatever…nothing special. My dad's dad was a baker and so was my dad when she met him. I kinda think…my mom's dad wasn't too happy she ended up with him. He was…. pretty uptight like her. Real strict with her. I don't remember my mom's parents, but from what I gather they were pretty stuck up. They had high expectations of her and all that. She tries not to be that way, but…it's ingrained in her," he finished, giving her a wry smile.

Rich, she thought. Rich people with high expectations. Great. A queasy feeling started in her stomach as she pictured a prim, uptight blonde woman she pictured to be Mrs. Mellark staring at her with disapproval. She felt like she was back in high school again waiting for the approval from the cool kids and their parents. Those were the people who always seemed to scoff at her second hand clothes and absent mother at school events. She had gone out of her way to avoid people like that for as long as she could remember. Being around people who thought you were trash because of your family and income were the worst kids of people in her mind.

And is sounded as though Mrs. Mellark was exactly that. Katniss nodded. "Will she like me?"

Peeta chewed his lip a second. "She doesn't even like me and I'm her son."

"Peeta…"

"Well it's the truth, just ask my brothers. I guess…She won't dislike you. But she probably won't act like she likes you at first. But I can't tell; I've never really brought an important girl home for her to meet, so…"

"Will she think I'm good enough for you?" Katniss asked timidly.

Peeta jumped in his chair, reaching over to clasp her hand in his. "How could you say that?"

"I don't know Peeta, you're building this woman up to be….scary," she replied honestly. "I mean…it's intimidating."

"First of all, you're amazing. You're smart, nice, and when I show most people your picture they ask how much I'm paying you per week to pretend to date me, alright?"

Katniss blushed.

"So don't ever doubt yourself, alright? If my mom wants to be all uppity, and believe me that's how she is with everyone, then let her be. Who cares? Her opinion has zero to do with anything in my life. That especially includes you," he stated firmly.

"I'm still a little…apprehensive."

"Don't let her be rattle you. My dad will be there to keep her in check. Besides, we have months until Christmas break. I mean…I won't lie and say she won't be kind of a bitch. Which sounds bad that I would say that about my own mother, but….she raised three boys and she is kind of a bitch. She can't help it. Having three boys didn't do much to help calm her OCD tendencies. I think we had a lot to do with why she went little nuts and is so uptight."

"Three boys might do that to a person," Katniss agreed. She gripped Peeta's hand and chewed her lip. "I guess I've dealt with people like before."

"Right," he agreed. "Besides…you're perfect for me. She could disown me and I wouldn't care as long as you still felt the same way about me that I do you."

Katniss felt a tiny, crooked smile working its way onto her face. "I'm sure I do," she said softly. She lifted her eyes up to meet Peeta's blue ones. He stared back at her with an endearing intensity that made her insides quiver slightly.

"I love you, and that should be all that matters. Not all this other stuff," he said softly. He squeezed her hand before letting it go to continue with his breakfast.

As he ate, a sinking feeling settled over her despite Peeta's kind words. She hated feeling this way; this insecure and girly. But yet here she was feeling like this for the second time in less than twenty four hours as she asked herself whether or not she was good enough for Peeta. Her mind began to piece if all together; the nice car, the expensive school, the willingness to always drive and get her and plans to take her places, the offer to buy her a cell phone…Peeta came from money. Time seemed to slow as she realized her boyfriend most likely had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. They hadn't talked much about their home lives and families at camp, and being without cell phones and other technology had put everyone on level playing ground as far as she was concerned. There hadn't been any way to tell that he had money at camp. Now that they were in a different setting all of the pieces were slowly falling into place.

She knew it was silly. She knew that.

Her feelings for him should trump any doubts. But they were still there.

Did she deserve Peeta?er HerH

He truly was the golden boy; blond hair, blue eyes, and a face that could charm the pants off of any breathing woman in a ten mile radius. Not to mention the beautiful things he could do and say with his mouth. Katniss looked down at her lap. She didn't like doubting herself.

When she was in junior high some of the rich, snobby girls had made fun of her for being poor. While she realized it was a long time ago, it didn't take much for the haunting feelings of inferiority to come raging back with a vengeance and shake her to the core. Those girls had continued to terrorize her and anyone else in their path for years until finally Katniss had been able to ignore them. She had kept her distance from people like that in high school and had moved on. But hearing Peeta describe his mother made all of her insecurities return. What if his mother scoffed at her and chided Peeta for dating a girl like her? Would she expect Katniss to come from a good family and wear nice clothes?

"Is something wrong?"

Peeta's concerned voice broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. "No, I was…just thinking."

"Listen, don't worry about my mom. I didn't mean to worry you; just warn you. She's fine with strangers and she would never say anything mean to you."

Katniss raised one eyebrow. "Doesn't sound that way to me."

Peeta shrugged. "She's just that way with me because I'm her son. She wouldn't say anything to you, especially with my dad around."

She nodded. "I just…it sounded a little intimidating. I don't…." she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Nervously, she unscrewed the cap of her juice and took a big sip to quiet herself for a few moments before she said anything she didn't mean. Her eyes looked everywhere but at Peeta.

"Okay," he said softly, wordlessly letting it drop. They were silent for a few moments before Peeta changed the topic. "I'm glad you came this weekend."

"I am too," she replied quietly, still looking down at her tray. Guilt washed over her as she tried her best to not ruin their perfect weekend together by being insecure and immature about Peeta's family and bank account.

Don't be stupid Katniss.

"Do you like it…here?" he asked hopefully.

Her eyes flicked up to meet his. "What do you mean?"

"Like…my school. Being here, with me."

"Of course I do, why?"

He shrugged, taking another bite of his food. "I just…wish you were here all the time. I wish we didn't have to go weeks at time without seeing each other and…just missing each other all the time really sucks. Last night was perfect."

"I know…but if I was here all the time, when would we study?"

Peeta smirked before taking another sip of coffee. "We could study each other."

"No doubt," she said with a smile. "But I can't be here every weekend."

"But what if you could be?"

"What are you getting at?"

He sat back in his chair and gave her a pleading look. "Transfer here. Be with me, here…all the time. Not just weekends."

"Peeta…"

Peeta shook his head. "The thought of you leaving tomorrow….makes me sick and just fills me with this dread. I hate it. I don't want you to leave."

Katniss shook her head. "Don't do this now, Peeta."

"What do you mean? I'm serious."

Katniss huffed in frustration. This was the most irritated she had ever been at Peeta the golden boy and she didn't much like it. She wanted to enjoy their time together and live in the moment and not worry about the future. She wanted this weekend to be perfect.

"I can't transfer here, you know that. We've talked about this before."

He leaned up in his chair and squinted in the sunlight. "But have you honestly looked into it? Tried?"

"I just…I know I can't, alright? I'm barely scraping by at my school. I'm paying for this myself, I don't….I don't have a trust fund," she snapped finally, looking away.

Peeta inhaled sharply. "Katniss…"

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I didn't mean that. But I meant what I said Peeta – I can't just transfer here and be with you all the time, it doesn't work like that. It's not magic. This school costs three times what mine does, did you know that?"

Peeta watched her intently, his blue eyes burning into hers. "I didn't."

"Well…it does."

"Is there…maybe some other way?"

She leaned back against the plastic chair making it creak in protest. "I just wish you wouldn't push it. I would if I thought….I could afford it. But I just can't. I'm going to be in massive debt as it is after I finish my undergrad, and I still have a few more years of nursing school to pay for after that."

"I understand," he said tensely. "I didn't mean to push you, I just…miss you."

Katniss sighed, picking at her scrambled eggs. "Don't you think I feel the same way? I miss you too, my God. My room at school is so quiet that I want to scream sometimes. I wish I could be here, at your beautiful school with you just a five minute walk away, I do. I haven't felt the same since summer ended and I can't just sneak off and see you any time I want. I want to. But I just can't. And I wish you would get that. No one is helping me with school."

She could tell by the guilty look on his face that such was not the case with Peeta. Clearly he wasn't paying for college himself, because he didn't argue after she finished. Instead, he picked up his fork and began picking at his food as she was. Tension had settled over them as they ate, the people around them unaware as they ate their breakfast and talked and laughed. Glancing across the table, she watched as Peeta furrowed his brows and rubbed his lips together the way he did when he was thinking about something. She was about to ask what it was when they were approached by someone. She looked up and squinted against the bright sunlight on the patio.

"Well good morning," a bright voice said.

Peeta looked up with a start and sat up sharply in surprise. "Cassie."

The blonde girl's eyes lit up as Peeta said her name. Katniss felt her stomach drop.


	8. Chapter 8

September 10th (Part II)

(Peeta's POV)

Peeta was amazed how quickly one morning could go from wonderful then to tension filled to finally downright shitty.

He stared up at Cassie as she stood beside their table outside the cafeteria, a triumphant smile on her face. Smirk was more like it. He glanced at Katniss as he cleared his throat. Great. Interrupted by Cassie of all people when they were in the middle of a fight. Was it a fight? It was more of a disagreement really….he hadn't meant to make her upset or angry with him; he just wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. But based off of her reaction to his pleas she didn't feel the same way.

"Um…This is Katniss. My girlfriend."

Katniss glanced up at her and offered a shy smile. Peeta watched as Cassie stuck out her hand and shook Katniss'.

"We meet again."

Katniss raised an eyebrow. "You remember that?"

Cassie sputtered slightly. "I…well….yes."

Peeta frowned. "Wait, you two know each other?"

He watched as Katniss sat up in her chair and flicked her hair to the side. A switch seemed to go off. "Yes! We met last night in the bathroom. Caty, was it?" she asked with a smile.

Cassie was clearly thrown off guard by Katniss' smile. "Erm…Cassie. I….I've been wanting to meet Peeta's girlfriend for such a long time."

Katniss' grey eyes seemed to lock in on Cassie's. "Oh well…here I am! You've heard all good things I hope," she said.

Cassie's eyes widened in surprise. "How's that long distance thing working out? Come to let him down easy?"

Katniss scoffed playfully. "Oh God no! It's actually great! Last night was amazing, just….Peeta and I finally reunited again. I couldn't go another second without seeing him. These last few weeks have been torture being apart."

Peeta watched as Cassie crossed her arms and gave Katniss a slightly challenging stare. "He talks about you all the time. I was starting to think he'd made you up!"

Katniss' smile grew slightly tense for a moment before brightening. "Well here I am! Quite real," she added. "I missed Peeta so much! Things aren't quite the same without him. We were actually just discussing the possibility of my transferring here."

Cassie balked. "Seriously?"

Katniss nodded as Peeta shifted nervously in his chair. Fuck, what kind of game were these two playing? He watched with rapt fascination as his girlfriend turned into another creature. A slightly jealous, possessive creature.

"Oh yeah. Peeta keeps bugging me to come here so that we don't have to ever be apart," Katniss added.

"I'm glad he finally found someone. Gosh, I was starting to think maybe he was ruined for life after we hooked up!" Cassie laughed.

Katniss didn't even bat an eye.

"Oh, quite the opposite actually. It was nice to meet a guy who was completely available and not hung up on some silly fling or ex-girlfriend. We really just picked up immediately and just…fell head over heels for each other. No strings attached, you know?"

"Right," Cassie said through clenched teeth.

Katniss giggled in a way that was so not her and made his eyes widen in surprise. "Yeah, we met at camp this summer and it was love at first sight! I can't even begin to describe it," she gushed. "Peeta charmed me from day one."

Peeta sat back against his plastic chair and pressed his lips together as he tried his best to muster up a smile. As low as he felt for making Katniss upset, he couldn't ignore the fact that his deepest, darkest fantasy was finally coming true right before his eyes. Katniss was telling the girl who wronged him how great he was. All she was leaving out was that he was amazing in the sack and had a great ass for this scenario to play out the way it did in his head.

Eat your skanky heart out, Cassie.

"Well, he certainly is a charmer. That's what drew me in," Cassie laughed.

Katniss sat up a little straighter and flashed an even bigger smile. "His smile is what got me," she said, giving him a dreamy grin. "He met my eyes across the mess hall at camp and just gave me this gorgeous smile. I was hooked before he even said one word to me."

Cassie shifted her weight and lifted her nose in the air. "So you two met over the summer? Must have been gross to have to stay at a sleep away camp with all those little brats running around all summer."

"Oh no!" Katniss exclaimed. "It was so romantic! It was this secluded little camp up in the mountains and it was stunning! Besides, the kids had lights out at nine so that left plenty of time for…well, 'Counselor Time'," she said with a little laugh. "It was scandalous, but….you know, hot."

Cassie coughed uncomfortably. Peeta knew her well enough to know that Katniss had caught her completely off guard with the happy, pleasant, girlie talk. And to be honest, he was completely shocked as well. But he certainly wasn't complaining. Hell, this wasn't something he thought would happen in a million years and he was surely going to let it play out.

"Wow…I had no idea that summer camp was like that. Um…geez," Cassie stammered. "So you're here for the weekend?"

Katniss nodded brightly. "Alll weekend! We've been trying get um…caught up," she giggled. "But you know how that is. I just can't get enough of him," she sighed, looking across the table to Peeta. He coughed and shifted in his chair, giving her a charming smile.

"That's us," he managed to squeak. "Getting caught up."

Cassie swallowed audibly, her blue eyes darting between the pair for a second. Peeta looked up at her and gave her a small smile. How do you like me now? How do you like me now that I'm with a way hotter girl who thinks I'm amazing? I'm no longer your trash, Cashmere, he thought with a tiny smirk.

"Well, we'd better get going," he said finally. "You know, with all the 'catching up' we have to do. Only so many hours in the weekend."

He picked up his tray and Katniss', pushing past a gaping Cassie to toss their trash. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Katniss take Cassie's hand.

"It was nice to see you again! Have a good weekend!" Katniss said happily. Cassie gave her another bewildered smile and watched her make her way over to where he stood. Once Cassie had turned around, Peeta threw his arm around her shoulders.

"You have some 'splainin' to do lady," he whispered in her ear. Katniss shrugged and gave him a crooked smile. He turned them back towards the quad to take the long way back to his dorm. He wasn't about to let her get away with that. "What was that?" he asked, fighting a smile.

"What was what?"

"Wellll….we got into a fight about schools and then the next thing I know Cassie is there and you practically made best friends with her while talking me up like I'm Prince Charming."

Katniss bit back a smile. "I just…wanted to throw her for a loop. Give her something she wouldn't be expecting, ya know?"

"Uh huh," he said slowly. "How…why….I can't even…"

"Peeta," she laughed, "I daydream all the time about putting that silly bitch in her place. And today I got to do it. A catfight is what she wanted."

"That would have been hot," he muttered.

Katniss promptly punched him in the shoulder. He feigned hurt as they walked, earning them a few curious looks before he chuckled to himself. "Sorry."

"Whatever," she said with a laugh. "I wasn't about to give her what she wanted, alright? She wanted me to get angry and snippy and make some comment she had a nasty retort to. That's what girls like that do."

"Girls like what?" he provoked.

"Girls like that. Girls who torture other people for no good reason. Girls who get their kicks off crap like making other people feel like shit. She made you feel bad, Peeta. You said at camp that she broke your heart."

"A feeling I am forgetting with each passing day," he said happily.

"Yeah but still! She did it and as your current girlfriend that automatically makes me hate her. And it makes me want to show her up and get even. And me getting down to her level was what she was counting on."

"Wait and she said you'd met?"

"Last night in the bathroom, yeah. I didn't want to say anything to ruin the weekend."

Peeta stopped her, turning to face her. "Hey. You can talk to me, alright? That's what this is about. Communication. We have to have that if this is going to work."

Katniss heaved a sigh and looked at the ground. "I know. I'm new at this boyfriend thing, I told you."

"I am too. We're learning together though, and that's the important part. I don't want you to be afraid to tell me how you feel. And that includes feeling slightly possessive over me to the point where you were eye-fucking me over the table," he winked.

"Whatever Mellark! I just wanted to show her that you're mine and not hers. For a reason," she added.

Peeta raised an eyebrow and linked his hand with hers. "So you were staking your claim on me? Still hot."

"In a way I was, yeah. So what?"

Their eyes met as they stood on the sidewalk in the quad, people walking around them to get where they were going. Peeta squeezed her hand and grinned. "I loved it," he said, leaning forward. His forehead touched hers and she smiled.

"I know."

He leaned back and watched the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her braid blow slightly in the breeze. "But I don't want you to feel like you have to be…jealous. Possessive is nice, that I can handle. But you know I love you. Cassie was an infatuation, and a stupid one at that. Do you worry about her?"

Her silence confirmed her answer for him. "I know we can't always be together and I don't want you to think that I would do something with her."

"I know you wouldn't. You've got to much character to do that to me.…I just wanted to show her up," Katniss admitted. "I don't like the way she looks at you…and that has nothing to do with you really, just…I don't like it. I wanted to show her that she doesn't get to me and that you're mine."

Peeta smirked. "I'd fantasized about something like that for so long. To see you stand up for me and make me look so….desirable was so hot. Thank you, Katniss. That was slightly deranged and crazy, but….very nice of you to do."

Katniss grinned. "I know," she repeated.

"Talk about a confidence boost," he admitted. Katniss squeezed his hand back, their slightly sweaty palms sliding together as they stood in the middle of the quad. It was a beautiful day out but he couldn't help but wish they would spend it defiling ever flat surface of his room. Or maybe not even just the flat ones. He felt his himself suck in an antsy breath as he waited to see what she would do next.

"I'm yours," he reminded her gently. "Just yours."

Something in her grey eyes flashed. "Prove it."

He gave her his best cocky grin before grabbing her face with his hands and planting a deep kiss on her lips. It was times like this he was glad he wasn't that much taller than her; it made kissing passionately so much easier. He licked her top lip, coyly asking for entrance. She giggled against his mouth and opened hers up wider to accept it. He stroked his tongue against hers before giving it a suggestive flick. Then, he pulled away quickly before she could protest and before his new boner got harder to disguise.

"There," he said, still holding her cheeks. Katniss grinned.

"Prove it more."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: September 10th (Part III)

(Peeta's POV)

"Prove it more."

Peeta choked on his own spit momentarily as he stood on the quad with Katniss after their run in with Cassie. There was a daring tone to her voice that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. An electric jolt of excitement rushed to his cock, making it twitch in his pants. He let his eyes rake up and down her body once, taking in the way she looked in her loose shorts and tank top. Katniss definitely wasn't kidding; her gaze locked onto his and held in in a daring manner.

"You um…l-look like you want me to do something specific, Katniss," he managed to stutter.

She raised one dark eyebrow. "We only have so much time together. Might as well make the most of it, right?"

"You are so right," he replied quietly, placing another lingering kiss on her mouth. Something stirred between them. Grinning, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of his dorm. They got a few weird looks from other students as Peeta practically yanked Katniss along the sidewalk, but he was beyond caring at that point. If she wanted him to prove that he belonged to her and only her, he would. Her palm was sweaty against his as they dashed into the elevator to take him up to his room.

Those three words seemed to linger in the air of the stuffy elevator like a tangible dare.

One he was eager to follow through on.

He was about to lean over and pick up where they left off when a tall, oblivious kid with a backpack darted in with them at the last possible second. Peeta's shoulders slumped as he realized they wouldn't be alone for their twelve floor trip.

Would she ever want to fool around in an elevator? he asked himself. He glanced sideways at Katniss as she shot a death glare to the back of their visitor's head. He began humming to himself and strumming his fingers against the material of his loaded down backpack, unaware of the vixen behind him with the steely eyes. Peeta smiled to himself and shook his head. The doors shut with a soft chime and the three of them were alone. Normally the elevator seemed speedy; today, however, it went at a snail's pace. He looked at her sideways and they shared a lopsided grin as their visitor stood in front of them, oblivious that he was interrupting their moment of passion.

Katniss' hand slowly crept up to his arm, her fingertip softly running down the length of his forearm. She seemed to be wondering about the same elevator scenario he was. Her fingertips began their slow decent up his arm, making the hair stand up and goose bumps form. The kid in front of them let out a long sigh, still unaware of the passionate pair behind him. Peeta snickered silently, glancing over to Katniss. Her nipples were suddenly standing at attention; he wasn't sure if it was from the sudden blast of cool air of the air conditioned elevator or something else. She caught him staring and grinned. Her eyes moved down his body with an appreciative stare, focusing on the slight tent that had formed against his pants. Her eyes widened momentarily before flicking back up to meet his.

Katniss looked away and licked her lips.

Holy shit this is torture. Hot torture.

His cock twitched again, growing harder and harder against his jeans. Pressing his lips together, he hoped he could at least keep his arousal manageable until they got to his room. It would be a long walk down the hallway to his door with a stiffy, that was for sure. Turning his head, he watched as Katniss shifted her weight and chewed on her lip in the seductive way he loved. In fact, that was one of the many things he enjoyed about his girlfriend; she did a lot of fucking sexy things that didn't even seem to realize drove him crazy. With an internal groan he realized their guest was most likely going to the same floor they were.

Katniss looked over at him. 'Seriously?' she mouthed.

He gave her a helpless shrug and adjusted himself in his pants.

After what seemed an eternity had passed, the doors slowly slid open. They hurried out after the random guy exited and practically ran to his room. Peeta fumbled with his key before finally calming himself enough to open the silly door. Once inside, he slammed it shut and locked it. His heart was racing and his pulse was hammering against his temples as he met Katniss' eyes and laughed.

"Finally," she muttered, pulling him towards her. He wasted no time. Immediately his lips were on hers and his hands were everywhere. Over her ass, around her waist, up over her breasts, cradling her face….it was intoxicating. Even though they had been together just the night before it felt like ages since he had last touched her and his hands couldn't seem to get enough. Katniss tilted her head to the side to allow him better access to her neck, groaning quietly.

"Oh my God," she murmured.

"Longest…elevator…ride…ever," he muttered between peppering her neck with kisses.

Katniss threw her head back further against the door, her throaty laugh ringing out against his dorm room walls. Peeta gripped her hips with his hands, rocking his pelvis suggestively against hers. He felt like he was going insane. The sight of Katniss pissing off the girl who had tossed him aside like garbage was like an aphrodisiac. And then the excruciating ride in the elevator had been the sweetest torture ever. He felt like a man possessed as he slid his hands around to cup her ass and attack her neck and jaw with more kisses. Katniss arched her back against his door and kicked off her shoes. Peeta grinned against her skin and did the same.

"Here?"

"Here," she confirmed, nodding her head.

Holy shit, she wants me to fuck her against the door, he thought with glee. He had always wanted to experiment with sex standing up and silently hoped it was less tricky than it appeared.

"Mmmph, Peeta," she grunted against his lips. She shoved him away lightly and practically ripped her shirt off letting it flutter to the floor She stood before him in a black, simple bra and a pair of soft athletic shorts. Her chest rose and heaved with her labored breaths, making her breasts look like they were begging for his touch. Without another thought, he looped his fingers in the waistband of her shorts and tried to pull her towards him, but her hands were quicker. They reached for his track pants and began tugging to get them down around his ankles. It would be been easier to simply undress themselves but their hands were hurried and shaky as they frantically pulled at each other's clothes.

"Take off your shirt," she whispered urgently. He obliged, and quickly. His boxers went down to the ground with his pants and he eagerly kicked them away. Katniss yanked her shorts and underwear down with one swift movement¸ leaving her only in her bra.

Peeta reached up, his hands cupping her breast through the soft cotton. Her nipples were still as stiff as ever and it made all the blood left in his body surge to his groin. He almost felt dizzy as Katniss reached forward and took him firmly in her palm. Her grasp was hot and comforting and exciting all at the same time as she palmed his cock eagerly. A surge of confidence raced through him as Katniss touched him, her excitement and need palpable. He let out a stuttering moan as her warm hand lightly squeezed him before moving up and down his length. Her palm gave him a playful squeeze that made it hard to think straight. His eyes were glued to her hand as she reverently touched him, stoking the fire that seemed to burn inside of him. It was difficult to focus his eyes on anything other than her small hand around his member; he wanted to lock the image away and keep it forever.

"So hard," she whispered, her voice so soft he almost missed it. She trailed her fingertip up the underside of his shaft, making him twitch slightly and moan. "Exciting for something?"

He peeled his eyes away from her hand as she touched him, locking gazes with her. "I want you," he hissed through his clenched teeth.

Katniss chuckled to herself. "I told you; you have to prove it, Mellark."

"Challenge accepted."

Wanting to reciprocate, Peeta nudged his hand between her bare legs and slid two fingers to tease her wet folds. He slipped them inside of her, his jaw clenching as he felt her welcoming heat. Katniss sucked in a breath and let her head fall back against the door again as he pinned her against it with his hips. His fingers stroked and teased her as his thumb found its way to her clit. He flicked his nail against it and made her gasp.

"Peeta!" she hissed. He glanced up at her with hooded eyes as he watched another strand of her chocolate hair fall out of her messy braid. She looked utterly unkempt and frazzled as he fingered her with earnest. Katniss arched her back further, thrusting her pelvis forward with want. Glancing down, he watched his hand as it brought her pleasure. There was something so primal and manly about the way their hands were all over each other, pinned against his door and not caring who heard. As raunchy as it sounded in his head, he couldn't wait to fuck her against the door.

Another loud groan of enjoyment came from her mouth. Leaning forward, he attacked her mouth with his.

"Peeta," she pleaded against his lips. He smiled a predatory smile and continued his effort.

Her body bucked against his fingers as he moved them in and out of her body, earning a gasp from her mouth with every swipe against her delicate nub. His hand pumped against her furiously, preparing her for the next step. His dick was screaming in protest as it waited beside her thigh; he wanted to join the fun too. Soon, buddy.

"I can't…I can't stand…"

Her legs were starting to tremble slightly so he wrapped his free hand around her waist to steady her as he brought it home. He shook his head with determination and clenched his teeth. "I got you; just come for me."

The words sounded dirty and foreign and he liked it. He hadn't ever uttered them to her before and it seemed to flip a switch inside of her. Her inner walls started to delicately shudder and he knew he had done his job. With a last grunt of pleasure, Katniss came against his hand and let a tremor run through her body.

"Condom," she gasped, lifting her hand to her face. She pushed her now sweaty hair away from her hairline. Her cheeks and neck were bright pink and a few beads of sweat were falling down her temples.

"Right." He rushed to his desk and hurriedly threw the drawers open. Digging to the back, he yanked the box out and grabbed the first one he touched. The box went flying as he chucked it over his shoulder and hurried back to the door where Katniss stood waiting. She giggled at his actions.

"I'm in a hurry," he laughed.

"Just come here." Her naked body was flushed and ready and oh so sexy. He felt himself tremble with excitement as he tore the packet open with his teeth and spit the wrapper to the ground.

"Tell me I don't have to be quiet," she laughed, watching as he rolled it on.

"I'm gonna make you scream," he promised, lifting a hand up to cup her breast. He rolled her nipple between his fingers making her squeal softly. The noise was so needy and desperate it made his cock twitch in anticipation. Using his other hand, he lifted her thigh up to hitch it around his waist. Her arms went around his neck as she leaned into the door and widened her stance slightly. He didn't wait another second. He buried himself in her with one purpose filled thrust. Katniss cried out loudly as her walls stretched to accommodate him. Her mouth fell open and he expected another shout, but instead she could only scream soundlessly as he plunged into her.

"Fuck," he growled, his fingers digging into her thigh. Katniss pushed her hips forward, inviting him to thrust deeper. Peeta rocked her pelvis back and forth against his arousal, earning a pant of approval from her each time. "Do you see what you to do me?" He whispered.

They both glanced down, seeing the way his body molded with hers. The sight of his length disappearing into her was almost more than he could take. Judging by the way Katniss moaned, she was enjoying the view of their coupling bodies as much as he was. He knew he wouldn't last long; the stimulation of it all was almost more than he could handle.

"You…you make me…"

"What?" he panted.

Her words stopped in her mouth, a shy smile forming on her lips. "I can't."

"Say it," he pleaded, slowing his thrusts. "Say it, please?"

Katniss sighed, her steely eyes soft. "So wet," she said shyly.

Peeta grinned at his girlfriend's choice of mild dirty talk, watching as her cheeks turned a new shade of scarlet. That was alright; they had forever to perfect their raunchy mouths during sex.

Katniss leaned forward, kissing his mouth so hard he was sure he would have a bruise. Her teeth scraped against his lower lip roughly, which only made his cock twitch inside of her.

"I need you," he said earnestly. "You, you…only you," he chanted against her neck. He felt her tongue swipe across his jawline before she kissed it softly. He thrust against her with all his might in answer, pinning her tighter against the door.

"Oh fuck….Peeta!" she cried out suddenly.

He paused for a millisecond, surprised at the way her hoarse voice sounded against the walls of his dorm room. A wicked smile formed on his lips before he continued his work. If she wanted proof that he was hers, he would give it to her willingly. After a few more hard thrusts, he feels her body start to quiver around him. Good, he thought.

"I'm going to make you come…not her. You," he whispered hotly in her ear. "Fuck, look what you do to me Katniss." Katniss shuddered as she came, another guttural moan falling from her lips. He wasn't sure if it was his words or his actions that helped push her over the edge, but he was pleased either way as she rode out her orgasm.

"Your turn," she panted. "Come for me, Peeta."

Her words made him grin. Sweat was starting to pour down his temples despite the air conditioning of his dorm room, but he didn't care. His legs were starting to shake with exertion and he was certain he would be sore the next day, but he didn't care. He would happily take the mind-blowing sex in return. His fingers drove into her skin as he gripped her leg and her hip, driving into her with renewed vigor. It was only a matter of seconds before he felt the telltale tightening in his groin that meant he was close.

"Fuck I need you," he groaned, leaning forward. He came hard, panting against her neck as he fought to stand upright. Katniss clawed at his back, surely leaving marks as he pushed her up against the door. His legs shook like he had just run a twenty miles and his body felt like Jell-O, but he liked it. Slowly, he pulled out and let go of her leg. Katniss gulped for air a few times, wiping the sweat away from her hairline. They stood there panting for a few seconds, just staring at each other.

Peeta leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her mouth. "Never….doubt how much I need you," he said quietly. He needed her to understand. Katniss nodded, her silver gaze watching him intently.

"I won't."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: September 11th

(Katniss POV)

Katniss exhaled against Peeta's shoulder, smiling to herself as she felt his head drop to rest on her chest. She could feel the beads of sweat that had gathered around his hairline; they felt cool against her hot skin. She didn't think she would ever get tired of the high that went with loving Peeta this way.

"Wow," he gasped, arching his back. "That was…"

"Nice," she replied hoarsely.

He sighed against her skin and swallowed roughly. "I just wish…"

"Wish what?"

He shrugged. "I wish I was like…skilled enough to get us to finish at the same time."

"Come together?" she echoed, raising her eyebrows. The thought hadn't occurred to her. "I thought that only happened in cheesy romance novels."

"And porn," he chuckled truthfully. "I'd still like to get to the point where that could happen."

"Mmmm," she hummed against his temple, "We'll just have to practice then won't we?" She momentarily squeezed her pelvic muscles in response just to mess with him. Peeta lifted his head up off her chest and met her gaze. His eyes widened momentarily before he stared down at her.

"I could stay like this forever," he whispered hoarsely.

She reached a lazy arm up and brushed a lock of damp hair away from his forehead. "I could too…but we can't. You have to drive me back to school soon."

Peeta dropped his head to her shoulder and groaned like a petulant child. "Nooooo…." He whined. His elbows gave out and he flopped on top of her with his entire weight. "We'll stay here, just like this."

"Just like this?" she whispered in his ear.

He nodded playfully. "Yeah, I'm holding you hostage."

Katniss snickered against his sweaty hair. "Okay. What are you gonna do with me then?"

He sighed, letting his lips make a trail of languid kisses up her shoulder, neck, and finally to her jawline. She shivered slightly as his tongue slipped out and licked her earlobe lightly. "Keep you here…just tie you up and have my wicked way with you."

"Hmmm, what would your roommate Mark think? And…God forbid, what if Cassie happened to walk in?!" she joked.

Peeta hummed against her neck. "They'd just have to watch me ravage you or leave. Run away screaming, I guess?" he joked. "Who the hell cares?"

Katniss sighed as she stared up at his ceiling. "I guess you're right. Who the hell cares?" she repeated. Sighing, she turned her head to look at him. Peeta gave her a boyish smile from his place on her shoulder, lifting himself up to hover over her.

"This was the best weekend," he murmured, lowering his lips to hers.

"I know," she giggled. "Now get off me and let me go take a shower."

Peeta groaned against her neck and lifted himself off of her, slowly pulling himself out of her body. She stared up at the ceiling, the strange feeling of emptiness she always felt during the 'after' slowly creeping over her. She was about to roll over when Peeta suddenly inhaled sharply.

"What's wrong? Bust a nut?" she snorted, sitting up on her elbows. Peeta didn't respond. "Peeta?"

He gulped audibly, his gaze glued to his manhood. Her eyes followed, quickly zeroing in on the torn condom hanging from him. The white fluid oozed slowly from the tear in the latex, dripping down onto her thigh.

"What the…."

"Fuck," he muttered, rolling off of her. He grabbed a Kleenex from the table beside his futon and cleaned up as Katniss sat up. Her heart raced as she stood, quickly pulling on one of Peeta's t-shirts that lay discarded on the floor. Her stomach lurched as she felt a warm sensation below. Glancing down, she saw a telltale stream of white fluid sliding down her leg. Peeta grimaced, handing her a tissue.

"Oh my God," she gasped, quickly discarding of the evidence. Peeta fumbled for a second as he pulled his boxers on, his blue eyes wide.

"It broke," he said softly, shaking his head. "The condom fucking broke."

Katniss felt her eyes bulge. Her throat grew tighter and her heart began to pound erratically in her chest. Her face grew hot with panic as she realized the sheer magnitude of what had just happened. "How often does that happen?! I mean…what…what are the odds of that happening?!"

She watched as he shook his head. "I….I don't know, I…."

"Shit," she cried, yanking on a pair of his pants. "What…has this happened before?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "What, the one other time I had sex without you? No this doesn't happen!" he cried, jumping up. His cheeks turned red and flushed as he started to shake. "Fuck," he groaned.

She chewed her lip and tried her best to clean up and stay calm. She didn't know what to do; this had never happened before. "Peeta…" she managed to croak, "What are we gonna do?"

He shook his head and walked over to her, his face still red and panicky. "This….this happens all the time to people. Right? It does. That doesn't…always mean what…"

"Right," She agreed shakily. "I'm gonna go take a shower and…maybe try to clean up, okay?" she managed to spit out.

He nodded, quickly rushing to his closet to hand her a clean towel. Her feet felt like they were floating; this didn't seem real.

The condom had fucking broken.

The condom, the one thing that was supposed to protect her from a major mistake…had broken.

She didn't even think that was a real thing that happened.

Condoms weren't supposed to break.

Ever.

They were supposed to work. Every time. Without fail.

Just the week before she had watched a group of stupid fraternity guys at her school filling them with water and throwing them out of a third story window. They didn't look like the easiest things to break.

But one had broken during sex with Peeta and now she was fucked.

Her fingers shook as she turned on the shower and let the scalding water cascade down onto her body. How could things go from so wonderful to so potentially life changing and tragic in such a short time? She thought they were being smart and careful by never having unprotected sex. Being prepared (with the exception of summer camp) for sex was something Katniss had prided herself on. Granted she had only done it once last year, but she always had condoms in her purse just in case she or a friend needed them. But condoms obviously weren't enough.

Her stomach lurched as she tried to rinse herself off. She doubted that would help anything, but she would at least maybe feel a little better. She let the hot water run down her body until her skin was pink. Through the steam she tried to make her eyes focus on the white tiles in front of her, but all she could see was one horrible scenario after another. Pregnant her junior year of college. What on earth was she going to do if she really was? She couldn't know for sure, but her luck had never been anything spectacular. What if one little mistake meant that she could be pregnant?

By the time she shut the water off and dried herself, she was shaking again. She walked back to Peeta's room, praying she wouldn't run into Cassie She made it back unscathed, slipping into his room with her robe wrapped tightly around her body. Peeta looked up from his place at his computer and gave her a worried look.

"Showering…doesn't help," he said slowly, closing the search engine on his screen. He looked pale. Katniss nodded, unsure of what to say. Peeta stood up and walked over to her, grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm sorry I swore before, okay? I was….just panicked. This will be okay."

Katniss shook her head, shrugging out of his grasp. Words didn't want to come to her suddenly.

"Peeta…no aspect of this could possibly be 'okay'."

Peeta huffed and grabbed her arm and gently spun her around. His arms flew around her middle and pulled her still damp body against his. "This will be okay," he repeatd.

She didn't even realize she was crying until her body shook against his. "What if it's not?" she sniffed against his shirt. "What if…what if one accident…what if I am, Peeta? Everything I'm working for will….I can't raise a baby and…."

He pulled back and gave her an incredulous look. "Look, if you did happen to…" he trailed off, clearly unable to say 'get pregnant'. "If you were, then there is no 'you' about it alright? This is us. It would be the two of us together, ok? Not just you. I would never do that to you Katniss. This isn't an episode of Teen Mom; this is our life."

Katniss let out a tired laugh. "Did you just compare this to an MTV show?"

Peeta pulled away and cracked a smile. He wiped away a stray tear on her cheek and hugged her again. "Sorry. I'm panicky. But this isn't the end of the world. I love you, okay? Things will be alright no matter what. Besides…there's still a big chance it didn't happen, right?"

Katniss shrugged. "I guess so. I just…I'm bad luck, Peeta."

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "No you're not. You've never brought me anything but good luck, Katniss. No such thing as bad luck when you're involved."

She sniffed and nodded, still shaking slightly. She wanted to believe Peeta, but she couldn't help feeling doubtful. With the exception of him, the odds of life had never particularly been in her favor.

Peeta was quiet on the drive back to her school. The sky had clouded over and poured rain, effectively making her somber mood even more dismal than it already was. Peeta held her hand as he drove, squeezing it every so often. They had been quiet after she had come back from her shower, opting to watch a movie from his futon before he had to drive her back to school. She needed to do laundry and prepare for classes that week, and his roommate Mark would be coming home soon anyway.

Katniss slumped in the passenger seat as her brain began to hurt again. She needed to stop thinking, but she couldn't. Instead, she lifted the sleeve of Peeta's hood sweatshirt she had stolen from his room to her nose and inhaled. It smelled like him. Peeta squeezed her hand again, making a warm feeling shoot up her arm.

When he pulled into the parking lot next to her dorm, he turned to her. "I wish you didn't have to go."

The rain coming down splashed against the hood of his car, bouncing off in all directions as it poured outside. It matched her feelings. She wasn't in the mood to have the transfer argument again, so she just shrugged. "I have to though."

Peeta nodded dejectedly. "I know you do. Let's get you inside." He grabbed her bag and hurried through the sheets of rain to the front door of her dorm. It was pouring outside, so they were both soaked by the time they made it to the covered awning outside the doors.

"This is as far as you can go."

"What?" He asked sadly, his blue eyes pleading.

"All girls dorm," she explained. "Since I live in the singles."

Peeta's shoulders slumped. "Damn. Well…can you call me later tonight? Or I can call you?"

She nodded. "Of course. I might need someone to talk to."

Peeta reached over and hugged her against his wet body. Katniss inhaled deeply, trying to remember his comforting scent. "It will be alright," he repeated. "When is your next…erm…when might you know for sure?"

Katniss chewed her lip. "Almost three weeks from now. Three weeks I should know."

"Good. We'll just wait then, take it one day at a time. It'll be alright. You'll see. Besides, I've never done anything successfully the first time before, so…"

Katniss let out a nervous giggle and slapped his arm. "Peeta," she chided.

He gave her a lopsided smile and shrugged. "Well I haven't. Either way though….I'm here, ok? You're not going through this alone."

She gazed up at him and saw the worry in his blue eyes. Reaching up, she brushed a lock of wet hair away from his eyes. "You're kinda amazing, you know that right?"

Peeta shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm a lovesick fool who gave the girl he loves a bad scare and ruined our last day together," he laughed. "You're the one who needs that 'amazing' title."

Katniss' heart surged with warmth as she hugged Peeta to her again. "I don't want to let you go," she whispered. Peeta shook his head and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"We have to let go though," he said gently. He pulled away enough to press a soft kiss on her mouth. "I love you, okay? Call me night or day. I don't even care. I'll talk to you tonight, alright?"

She nodded, fumbling with her dorm key. Peeta sighed and watched her, his gaze softening as she opened the door. Her heart was heavy and aching as she gave him one last look. He leaned forward and pressed a deep, firm kiss on her mouth. "I love you," he repeated.

"I love you too," she muttered softly. He squeezed her hand one last time before darting back into the rain.

He was gone.

Katniss trudged up the steps of her dorm and fiddled with her keys. The door to her cold, empty room swung open greeting her with darkness. She had just gotten back and already she wanted to be back at Peeta's school, curled up on the futon with him. She let her bag fall to the floor with a thump. Peeta's sweatshirt was damp, so she peeled it off and walked down to the laundry room at the end of the hall. She dug in her pocket and produced a quarter, popping it and the sweatshirt into the dryer. As the hoodie began to spin, she leaned against the dryer and began to let herself space out.

Two words kept replaying in her head on a constant loop: What if?

She knew the odds were slim that she actually would get pregnant from one ripped condom. But they were still there, regardless. Girls had unprotected sex all the time. She thought they were ridiculously careless and stupid for doing so, but they still did and nothing happened. But then again, she considered herself nothing if not a bad luck magnet.

There was a very real possibility that she could get pregnant from their slip up.

If she was pregnant, how would she tell her mother? Or worse, Prim? Her mother would cry, Prim would be disappointed, and Gale would….she shuddered, not wanting to focus on her best friend. He would strangle Peeta, that was for sure. Gale had been her best friend and number one fan and supporter for longer than she could remember. He would be the worst person of all to tell.

By the time the dryer finally buzzed signaling it was finished, she had been over just about every unpleasant scenario she could possibly think of. Her head was pounding. After slipping his sweatshirt back on to her body she sighed. It would be another two weeks before she would lay eyes on him again; their schedules were packed full of exams, studying, and other activities. Her heart ached with loneliness as she returned to her desolate dorm room. It was so cold compared to Peeta's.

That's because Peeta isn't here, she realized.

She sat down at her desk and opened up Google, her fingers poised above the keys with several scary questions all looming at the front of her mind. Glancing at the phone beside her computer, she chewed her lips. Sure she could talk to Johanna about ex flings and blowjobs, but could she also talk to her about a pregnancy scare? She wasn't sure. Katniss didn't have many girls she even considered friends, much less close girlfriends she wanted to let know about her current predicament.

She wanted to hear Peeta's voice, she realized. But he just dropped you off an hour ago. You shouldn't need to hear his voice in order to be okay again, her inner feminist chided her. erHerShe

Instead, she remained at the computer with the cursor in the search engine blinking at her menacingly.

The phone beside her ringing shrilly made her practically jump out of her skin.

"Hello?"

"Stop."

She smiled weakly. "How did you know I was worrying?"

Peeta sighed into the receiver. "I just know you, Katniss. Stop worrying. Everything is gonna be okay, alright?"

"I'm not so sure. I'm back luck."

"No, see – you stole my lucky sweatshirt. It's always good luck when I wear it to an exam. I almost always get a B or better."

"Almost always?" she laughed.

"Yeah. But I knew you'd be worrying. So stop. We don't know anything yet. And if we do, then…then you're not in this alone okay?"

"I know," she said simply. "It's still scary."

"I know it is. It's scary, but….I just have a positive outlook. I'm scared shitless, but…I'm positive."

"You're always positive," she chuckled. Her laughter eventually subsided, the dark cloud of reality settling over the telephone line.

"Are we okay?"

She sniffed back a fresh set of tears. "We're more than okay I think; that's how we got into this mess," she admitted.

He sighed again. "I don't want you to worry or be upset."

"Did we just fuck up our lives?" she asked, ignoring his statement. "I've never…this sort of thing has never happened to me and I'm scared Peeta. I'm…I'm so scared," she choked. Her tears were hot and blazing as they rolled down her cheeks. She thought she had cried herself out already, but apparently that was not the case.

Peeta's brave front was crumbling, and quickly. "I'm scared too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many of you were wanting something a little 'deep' to happen to these two (not just romps in the sheets) and here ya go. In fact, someone called this when I had it halfway written, I can't remember who though. Either way, I hope you enjoyed a dose of reality for our lovebirds.
> 
> What did you think of their scare?


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: September 11th (Part II)

(Katniss POV)

Katniss swallowed roughly, pressing her lips into a thin line. The bus jostled her slightly making her rock in her seat. Leaning forward, she pushed her head against her knees and tried to stop the queasy feeling in her stomach. She inhaled deeply a few times before sitting up and meeting the disapproving gaze of the woman across the aisle from her.

After getting off the phone with Peeta, she had done several very scary Google searches. All of her research had pointed her in one direction: to the pharmacy. Being Sunday night, her campus's health center was closed until seven the next morning. If her plan was going to work, she was going to need to work quickly. There was one all night pharmacy in her college's town and she knew she needed to get there – fast. Every ounce of hope she had depended on her ability to move quickly.

Ignoring the curious looks from the other two people on the bus, she hurried down the aisle at her stop and flew down the steps. Pulling the hood of Peeta's sweatshirt over her head, she darted through the rain into the pharmacy. Her stomach coiled nervously at her task at hand, but she persevered.

There was no line at the pharmacy's window, so she was all alone. She exhaled a sigh of relief before stepping up to the counter and looking at the pharmacy technician.

"Can I help you?" the middle aged woman asked, looking over her glasses.

Katniss gulped, shoving her shaky hands into her pockets. She hadn't realized how difficult this would be; would this woman she didn't know judge her for what she was about to say?

If you have any shot at not ruining your future, you'll spit it out, she told herself.

"I…Can I please get…the Plan B pill?" she asked hoarsely.

The woman at the counter didn't bat at an eye. "It should take about fifteen minutes to fill. Are you waiting in-store?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll wait right here," she said, moving to stand in front of the plastic chairs. The clerk nodded and went about her work. She collapsed into the uncomfortable chair with a sigh. Compared to what was ahead of her this was the easy part. Now she just had to take it and tell Peeta. She didn't know how he would feel about her taking the pill; she was sure he would be fine with it. Peeta always supported her, so she didn't think it would be an issue. It was her body, after all.

If there was any hope left, this was it.

"Ma'am," the clerk said after a few minutes. Katniss looked up with a start, jumping to her feet. She quickly paid for the pill and shuffled away. She wasn't sure how she should feel purchasing it.

She felt ashamed for not realizing it was an option.

She felt stupid for having a condom break.

She felt relieved that she had been brave enough to come down to the pharmacy and purchase it only hours after their mistake.

Katniss quickly purchased a bottle of water with the change in the bottom of her purse and retreated to the bathroom to read the directions. It said she might have some cramping and feel nauseated, but if taken as soon as possible it could work. Without another thought, she downed it and closed her eyes to make a private wish. Everything she would lose if it didn't work flashed in front of her eyes.

This had to work.

When she got back to her dorm room, her phone was ringing off the hook. She flew to it and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

Peeta sighed into the phone with relief. "Oh my God, I have been calling you…" he groaned.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry but you are sooo getting a cell phone whether I have to pay for it or not Katniss…I….I talked to Finnick."

There was a pause.

"About?"

"About…this afternoon. He said there's a pill…"

Katniss nodded, clutching the phone to her ear as her stomach did a nervous flop. She had taken the pill in the pharmacy bathroom and walked home in the rain. She was drenched and cold but strangely hopeful that things would be alright.

"Peeta, I know. I researched when I got home and I…I just went and got it."

Peeta exhaled in relief. "You got it?"

"Yeah I…took the bus to the twenty four hour pharmacy a few miles away and I got it. It's fine, I took it as soon as I could. I…I think it will work."

"You're not mad I told Finnick, right?"

"No, no…he's your friend. He knows to keep it quiet. It's alright," she insisted.

"Are you okay? You should have called, I would have come back and gotten it for you, I-"

"-No…it's okay. It's alright, I just…I took it and everything is fine. I'm home now, and…I'm just gonna watch some TV, ok?"

"Right," he agreed. "Listen, call me tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I will."

"Okay. Just try to relax and have a good night and…I love you."

The words caught in her throat. "I…I love you too Peeta."

X0x0x0x0x0x0x

For whatever reason, Katniss yearned to hear the voice of her little sister. She waited until Prim would be home from school before she gave her little sister a call.

"Hey little duck."

"Katniss!" Prim screeched happily. "How are you? I miss you! How's school? How's Peeeetaa?" she teased rapidly.

Katniss shook her head at her little sister. "He's fine. School's good. How are you?"

"Good. Rory asked me to homecoming!"

"Already?"

"It's only two weeks away!"

"Right, I know. I wish I could be there to take pictures."

"Oh, I'm sure his mom will get plenty. Are you still coming home for fall break?"

"Yeah, definitely. Clear your calendar for me."

Prim laughed. "Right. I'm having a better year, but I'm no socialite."

Katniss frowned. "How are the girls treating you? Everyone playing nice? Or do I have to come cut some bitches?"

"They're fine," Prim snorted. "They actually have been ignoring me. They made kissy noises at me and Rory at lunch one day but we just ignored them like you said."

"Good girl," Katniss laughed. "Ignoring them will show them up."

"I know. So really though, how's Peeta? Weren't you gonna see him last weekend?"

"I did, actually," she said roughly, swallowing down the bile that had suddenly risen in her throat. She had avoided Peeta's phone call earlier that day, hoping he would think she was at the library or in class. She had spent the night on her futon curled up in a fetal position from all of the stomach cramping. As grotesque as it seemed, she hoped that was a good sign that the medication had worked.

"Well how was it? What's his school like?"

"It was wonderful actually. His school is ten times prettier than mine. We had a lot of fun," she said quietly.

"You sound sad. Are you sad about something?"

"No, Prim. I'm fine. Just tired. I have a big test on Friday so I was up studying last night. I just need to nap," she lied. She hated lying to Prim, but knew her little sister wasn't old enough to talk about her current predicament just yet. They said their goodbyes and hung up, Katniss promising to call her again that weekend.

She leaned against her desk chair and stared at the phone. She knew she should call Peeta – he was probably worried sick about her. And yet, she couldn't make herself call him just yet. She wasn't ready to talk to him. Ever since she had taken the little blue pill the day before, she couldn't shake a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Katniss wasn't used to her life being such a gamble. She wasn't used to feeling unsure about her future. For years she had her life planned out. And yesterday for the first time that had been threatened.

She didn't like it.

This was all new to her. The risk, the vulnerability…everything. Being in love with someone was wonderful and exciting, yet it had also opened up her eyes to the risks involved. By trusting Peeta she was setting herself up for so much to potentially go wrong. He had her heart and could easily break it.

Her hands trembled as they raked through her hair. What had she gotten herself into? When she started school, she had told herself, 'No distractions.' She was there to learn and finish school as quickly as she could. She wasn't there to drink and party and have fun like everyone else. And she had kept that promise her first two years.

Then summer had rolled around. She had told herself the same thing – 'No distractions'.

But then Peeta had happened.

She didn't expect it, yet it had been one of the most beautiful experiences of her life to meet and fall in love with him.

But with love came trust and fear and hope and opening herself up to someone she had just met.

And now there was the possibility she could be pregnant from one mistake. She knew having a baby was no easy task; her mother had to wait until she and Prim were both in school full time before finishing her nursing degree. If she had a baby there was no way she would be able to keep up with her studies and homework and soon clinicals.

There was no way.

Loving Peeta had suddenly becoming a blessing and a curse all at the same time. He had made her come alive, yet her judgment felt clouded and strange. Love had put her future in jeopardy.

She was suddenly terrified at what that could mean.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: September 15th

(Peeta's POV)

Peeta slammed his cell phone down onto his desk for the fifth time that day after getting no answer from Katniss. She couldn't still be at her exam, could she? He knew she had a big chemistry test that week but surely she could have found the time for more than one two minute phone call. She had finally answered him on Tuesday night, but it was already Thursday afternoon and he hadn't spoken to her since. Not a Skype session, an email, a phone call…not a peep. To say he was starting to worry was an understatement.

He was going insane with worry.

His mind went back to how she sounded on the phone on Tuesday. Tired, worried, and quiet. Katniss wasn't particularly 'chatty' as he had been labeled, but she usually perked up and talked to him more than she would most people. Was the distance finally starting to take its toll?

No, he thought. You can't think like that.

With a sigh, he glanced at the clock on the wall above his computer. It was actually very feasible that she was still in her exam. His eyes went to the copy of her class schedule she had neatly written out for him when she was there last weekend. She had Chemistry on Thursdays until one, then a two hour break before going to her lab. She would be there until six. He scrubbed his face with his hands and tried to remain positive. She would call him during her break, right?

The hours ticked by as he hoped she would call.

But she didn't.

He stayed at his desk the entire time, staring at his phone and pretending to do his homework. He really needed to be doing his homework for his class tomorrow morning, but he just couldn't focus. Katniss had taken the morning after pill Sunday night. It would be another two and a half weeks before they would know anything, and that was a long time. The last four days had dragged by like none other. Was there a way to know right away if the pill she took worked? She said Tuesday that it had made her pretty sick to her stomach and uncomfortable. His heart ached in his chest. If only. He wanted to be the one hurting, not her. He shook his head and tossed his pen down onto his notebook and stared at the phone again.

Ring. Ring. Ring, damn it!

But it remained on his desk, silent.

Was she angry with him? Granted, it wasn't his fault the condom ripped but he still felt like he was the one to blame. The look on Katniss' face when he had driven her home had been one of utter regret and turmoil. He had been so worried about her that he had barely had time to freak out himself yet.

What would he do if she really was pregnant?

He knew the possibilities were rare, yet they were still there. A series of 'What ifs?' had been playing in his mind for days now. Could he tell his father? Would his mother disown him? People his age had babies all the time, but that didn't mean it was easy. It looked hard as hell, in fact. But deep in his heart, Peeta knew he would do it. For Katniss and….he gulped. For their still hypothetical child. He would do anything he could, he decided.

Mark and Cassie laughed at something on the TV behind him. They were curled up on his futon….again. He smirked as he thought of the many ways he had defiled the poor piece of furniture with Katniss just days ago. Have fun sitting on our sex nest, he thought. The urge to kick them both out of the room in a hissy fit of rage threatened to boil to the surface, but he kept his lips sealed tightly.

Cassie's cackle made the hairs on his neck stand on end. How had he ever thought she was neat at all? He didn't understand himself sometimes. Last year when he looked at Cassie he saw the girl he would give anything to have belong to him. Now all he saw was a mistake.

"Peet, this is a killer movie dude. Come watch it with us," Mark called him the futon.

Peeta shook his head. "Nah, I gotta study."

"Buzz kill," Mark muttered, shaking his head at him. Peeta rolled his eyes and turned back around. He could care less if stupid Mark thought he was a buzz kill. The only thing he cared about right now was talking to Katniss and making sure she was alright. Picking up his phone, he called her again. No answer. This was getting worse.

He stood up and paced the area behind his desk chair, trying to decide what to do. She wasn't picking up the phone or making any effort to contact him and she hadn't in days. He had called her both Sunday night and Tuesday. He frowned. Was Katniss trying to tell him something?

His heart ached in his chest again as he felt his face grow hot. No. He absolutely refused to believe that anything could come between them. He simply wouldn't accept it.

Jumping up, he grabbed his sweatshirt, wallet, phone and keys. "I'll be back later," he muttered, reaching for the door.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he heard Cassie ask.

She didn't matter, and he didn't answer. All that mattered was Katniss.

Peeta glanced down at his speedometer, willing his foot to press lightly. He was speeding down the highway, praying he didn't get a ticket on his way to Katniss' school. e He suddenly had to see her as soon as possible. Between her not calling him back and the scare they were currently having he couldn't fight the urge to see her any longer. By the time he arrived at her school, his hands were shaking. Katniss' school as a lot bigger than his, so he knew this was taking a stab in the dark. Using his phone, he looked up where the science building was and began walking in that direction. Her class would get out any minute, so he knew he had to hurry. He pulled his hood up over his head to block his face from the light drizzle that had begun to fall from the sky.

He suddenly felt as though he hadn't seen the sun in days.

A few students milled past him as he took a seat on the bench outside the doors, the moisture suddenly chilling him to the bone. It was only mid-September, but that day was the first where there was a slight chill in the air. Peeta chewed his lip and checked his phone at least ten times before a flow of students began filing out the doors. His eyes scanned their faces; there were a lot more people than he thought. All walked quickly past, probably impatient to get to their dinner at six on a Thursday evening.

She wasn't there.

Peeta sucked in a shaky breath, his hands starting to sweat where he held his phone in his hand. Calling her was useless; he had tried that. This had been his last resort.

He had to see her.

Gulping back his disappointment, he took another deep breath. His heart was pounding erratically in his ears, so loud he didn't hear the doors opening again.

He glanced up and there she was.

Her hair was in a messy braid down one side of her face, her cheeks pale and drawn. Her feet shuffled and her eyes were downcast and somber as she moved slowly away from the science building.

He stood gradually, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest. Sluggishly, her eyes flicked up to meet his. He gulped as everything seemed to suddenly be happening in slow motion. Her expression was unreadable as she came to a stop ten feet in front of him.

"Peeta," she said hoarsely. He watched her blink as if she wasn't sure if he was real or not.

He blinked. "Hey."

Silence.

He had obviously surprised her by randomly showing up at her school, but what other choice did he have?

"What…what are you doing here?"

"I…I called, but…I…g-got tired of calling," he said finally. His voice sounded tired and bitter, but he couldn't help it. He wanted answers.

"I know," she said slowly. "I'm sorry."

He took a shaky step closer. "Don't be sorry, Katniss. What's…what is this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't…you know what I mean. You're pushing me away, I…I don't know what to think right now."

Tears welled up in her grey eyes as she stared at him. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Is it…what happened last weekend?"

Katniss shook her head in a confused manner and shrugged. "A lot of it, yeah."

"So…not most?"

She was quiet again, her eyes downcast.

Peeta stepped closer. "Katniss, you're scaring me. What…what did I do?"

A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she shook her head. "I….I'm scared, Peeta."

He huffed quietly and held out his arms. "You think I'm not? Katniss…I'm terrified. But…no matter what happens I'll be there for you. I said I would and I have every intention of sticking by you if we-"

"-But that's just it!" she cried suddenly, stepping closer. She was so close now he could smell the fragrant traces of her shampoo as the light rain hit it. "For the first time in my life I've put myself in a situation that I could be the one to screw things up. Before it was out of my control, but now…now I did it to myself. When I lost my dad, when my mom checked out, when we almost lost the house…none of that was anything I could change or help. But…this. I did this, Peeta."

"Katniss, no. This wasn't your fault!"

"But I put myself into this position with you Peeta. I can't deny that."

Peeta balked. "Does…what does this mean?"

She shook her head and wiped away her tears. "It means I'm terrified I fucked up the only thing I could control. I could control saying in school and getting good grades so that I can get a job. I could control that. Now…if I'm pregnant, I can't control it."

"Don't say that! We don't know….we don't know," he repeated firmly.

"But…I could be Peeta and that scares the shit out of me!" she cried hoarsely.

Peeta inched closer. "So…you took the pill though."

"It's not a hundred percent! Nothing is ever a hundred percent Peeta," she cried, her voice cracking.

"Why…why couldn't you just call me and tell me that you were this scared? You didn't even answer the phone, Katniss. I'm freaking out here."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, fiddling with the strap on her backpack. "I didn't know what to say to you."

"So you said nothing at all? I've been going crazy!" he practically shouted, dragging his fingers through his hair. The rain was coming down harder now, but he didn't care. They needed to talk about this before things spiraled any further out of control. "I have literally been waiting by the phone and calling you and calling you just so that I could hear your voice. I'm scared too, alright? I'm scared out of my fucking mind. But I at least wanted to talk to you."

"Peeta…"

"I just…you don't push people you love away, Katniss. No matter what this…thing is we're going through right now….turns out to be, I will still love you. Isn't that enough?"

She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "I don't know! Okay? I don't know."

"Pushing me away won't solve this. I won't let you push me out, Katniss. I love you, alright? I love you and that's not going to stop."

"But…what if…"

"What if?" he echoed, holding out his hands. "What if you are? If we are? Then we'd deal with it. But we don't even know yet. You're pushing me away because you're afraid."

"I know I did," she admitted. "I didn't know what to say."

His shoulders slumped. "Then you should have just told me that. I know you're scared, but did you ever once think how I might feel?"

Katniss' face drained of all color. She shook her head slowly as a fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks. Peeta's heart clenched in his chest as he watched the girl he loved cry.

"Don't," he pleaded. "Don't cry."

"I can't help it, I….I didn't mean to push you away I just got scared. I fucked up," she cried, hurrying forward. Her arms flew around his stomach, violently pulling Peeta against her. Startled, he hugged her back and buried his nose in her hair.

"I can't lose you," he said into her hair. "I just can't."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know what to do. I can't…."

"It's alright."

Peeta grabbed her cheeks and pulled her roughly to his lips. They burned against hers, sealing the words he so desperately needed her to understand. He needed to make her see that he was in his a hundred percent with her. Her bottom lip wedged between his, he fought to keep his mouth gentle and comforting. He wanted to kiss her wildly, claiming and reminding her of the passion they shared; how could she let that all go? Instead, he fought to pour every ounce of love and devotion he could into the kiss to show her that he would never leave. He wouldn't survive without her. Katniss was like air for him now, and all week he had been struggling to breath. Here, now…he felt like he could finally catch his breath just by kissing her.

Katniss pulled away. "Don't go. Don't leave, I…I can't. Just don't go."

"Where can we go?"

"Back to my dorm," she said, grabbing his hand. "I can't…you can't leave."

"But your dorm is all girls. What if you get caught?"

"I don't care," she said defiantly, wiping her tears away. Her fingers laced with his as she pulled him towards her dorm. Peeta followed his mind a blur as Katniss pulled him up to the brick building she called home. The rain was coming down even harder now, and they were both soaked. He hadn't planned on staying overnight but he didn't think he could leave her. She fumbled with her keys for a moment as he looked around warily. The last thing she needed right then was to get caught with a guy in her room in the middle of this mess. They hurried down the desolate hallway, their shoes squeaking against the tile floor. She threw open the door and pulled him inside.

Katniss pulled him against her in another tight hug. "I didn't mean to push you away," she whispered, a fresh set of tears springing to her eyes. He pulled away to watch as they filled up her grey eyes and ran down her cheeks. He wiped them away and shook his head.

"I don't care about that. Just don't do it again; I was going crazy."

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course I love you; you just had me scared," he said honestly. "Do you still love me?"

She nodded and sniffed. "So much that it scares me sometimes."

They didn't say anything after that. After pulling off their wet clothes, she put his jeans and sweatshirt over the back of her desk chair to dry. Left in only his t-shirt and boxers, he let her pull him onto her twin sized bed. Katniss rested her head on his chest and sighed, her body still shaking with the aftershocks of her tears. He stroked her hair and held her as she hiccupped a few times. The new dry clothes she put on smelled like fabric softener and it made him calmer for some reason. Together they watched the raindrops slide down the window of her dorm room.

"It's too early for me to take a test," she said finally.

He brushed her hair out of her eyes and held her tighter. "I know."

She was quiet again for a few minutes.

"Can you stay with me?" she asked finally.

Peeta moved to look down at her. "I don't think I could leave if I wanted to," he admitted softly. His fingers traced her cheek as she stared up at him hopefully. "I'll leave in the morning, okay?"

She nodded. "Can…you forgive me for being so stupid?"

"You were scared, not stupid."

"Fine. Scared."

"I'm scared too," he admitted. "But I could never leave you. No matter what happens, I could never leave you. I'd never want to."

"Why?"

Peeta sighed. "Because I love you," he said simply.

Katniss was quiet again as she let her head drop back down onto his chest. "Love is scary sometimes," she whispered.

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I know. Love is scary sometimes," he agreed.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: September 15th (Part II)

(Peeta's POV)

Peeta's eyes opened to an unfamiliar setting, but he wasn't alarmed. He immediately felt the weight of Katniss' arm on his stomach and knew that wherever he was it was where he was supposed to be.

He let his head fall to the side, his eyes focusing on her tired features. There were dark circles under her eyes and the lines around them looked deeper and worn. The last few days had taken a toll on her, he could tell. It didn't matter though – he was there now and that was the important thing. How long had they been asleep?

It was the right thing to do to come here, he told himself.

It was dark out, but he didn't care.

He still had homework to do, but he didn't care.

Nothing mattered in that moment but her.

He reached up and brushed her hair away from her tired face, watching as she twitched at his touch. She looked so exhausted and worn out, even in sleep.

She didn't deserve this.

He should have been more careful. He should have known she would pull away. He should have given her the space she needed.

His thoughts were a whirl as he woke up more, staring at her weary face. He wasn't the only one that had messed up that week; she had admitted to pushing him away when things had gotten too serious for her to handle. He should have done a lot differently that week and so should she. They were navigating their first bump in the road and he hadn't anticipated it would go like this. For the first time ever, he realized the girl he loved had flaws. Real flaws. She made mistakes and do did he.

But that was what made them human.

He had placed Katniss up on a pedestal that not even she herself could reach. He had put her there because isn't that where people always put their first true loves? He realized he wasn't entirely to blame for it, but he still felt bad. Katniss could never live up to the lofty expectations of her he had built up in his mind. It was wrong of him to do it but he had done it anyway. In a lot of ways he realized he had set himself up for failure. Her father had died and left her, and her mother had unintentionally neglected her; he knew that. Of course a girl like that would have an issue with potentially bringing a child into the world. She always talked about how hard she had to work for things and he understood how their relationship had suddenly jeopardized all of that. He should have realized it before now, but he hadn't. Peeta chalked it up to being a blinded love sick fool.

Katniss' eyes soon fluttered open, a small smile blossoming on her cheeks. "Are you really still here?" she asked dreamily, her voice hoarse with sleep. They had napped for a few hours after his arrival, crushed together on her tiny bed. "What time is it?"

"No idea. But I'm here. I don't think I'm leaving tonight," he admitted.

"Stay," she pleaded, burrowing her nose into his neck. "Stay."

"I will," he sighed. "But you'll probably have to help me with my psych homework next weekend. I'll be behind," he admitted.

Katniss nodded. "No problem. Just don't go. I'm not ready to be alone again."

"Me either."

"Then it's settled. You'll stay the night in the jail cell. That's what I call this place," she admitted.

Peeta turned his head and looked at her room. A plain rug covered the tile floor, leading up to a tiny, worn loveseat. Beside it was a small end table that was covered in notebooks and pens. Her desk was scattered with papers, more pens, and textbooks. Pictures of family and Prim covered the bulletin board behind her laptop, but other than that the drab little room looked bare. His heart ached. The room looked as miserable as they both felt.

Katniss sighed, resting her head on his chest again. "Is it bad that I want you to say here with me?"

"No. I want to stay too. I can't leave you, not after today. And this week. And last weekend. I feel like if I leave…you'll disappear."

"Peeta…"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, sitting up. Katniss sat up as well, her concerned gaze following him as he sat hunched over her bed. He couldn't help it; she had scared the crap out of him by not returning any of his calls. Every awful scenario he could think of had gone through his head as he had driven there and every day before that. Although it wasn't fair to compare the two, it felt like Cassie dumping him all over again. The feeling of dread in his stomach wasn't something he looked forward to.

Katniss seemed to sense what he was trying to say. "Peeta, I wouldn't…I wouldn't use you like she did. I wouldn't do that. I love you, I was just scared."

"I just…felt like you were drifting away from me, I don't know. I know you're not…her," he explained carefully, avoiding her name, "but it still scared me. I felt like…I'd finally done it, you know? I'd scared away the girl of my dreams without even realizing…"

He gulped back his emotions, afraid he would cry. That was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment. He had finally broken down and shed a few shame filled tears in the shower that morning. He had been an emotional wreck and it had all bubbled up in his chest and…he had let a few tears slide down in the midst of the hot steam without even realizing it. The emotional toll this experience had taken on him was more than he could handle at the time and he had just simply broken down. He felt like a fool afterwards, sitting in class all red eyed and puffy. His father had always told him real men could cry, but that still didn't make him feel any better about actually doing it.

"Peeta, I'm not going anywhere. I'm…it kills me that I made you think that. I'm…I'm sorry Peeta. I really am, I just…"

He heard her gulp audibly as she placed a shaky hand on his back. Peeta glanced over his shoulder at her as her palm burned against the fabric of his t-shirt.

"I know. It still stung though. Katniss, I…I was so scared that you were through with me. I know you're sorry but that doesn't automatically fix it."

He turned around and looked at her, immediately regretting his words. Her face crumpled in a way he had never seen before; not even on Sunday after their accident. She collapsed onto his shoulder and let out a mangled sounding sob, her tears immediately soaking through to his shirt.

"How can I….ever be through with you when I…n-need you so badly?" she cried. Her body shook with her cries and he immediately turned on her bed and wrapped his arms around her. As much as he regretted them, they were words she needed to hear come from his mouth. His eyes were slightly wide as he embraced her tightly, trying to come to grips with the fact that his fierce, strong, independent girlfriend had been reduced to a panicky mess in his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her, rubbing his palm in circles on her back. She hiccupped into the front of his shirt and let him hold her until he was sure she didn't have any tears left. "I can't believe you think I could ever leave," he murmured. "I wouldn't do that. But I have to be honest with you."

Katniss sat back against the concrete wall of her dorm room and rubbed the heels of her hands against her puffy eyes. "I know you wouldn't leave me," she said softly. "That was the part that scared me. I needed you, desperately…and I've made sure in my life that I've never needed anyone. Ever. Maybe Prim, but…for the first time in a long time I had put myself into a position where I depended on someone else and that scared the shit out of me Peeta."

"I know that now. I think at camp…we were just in the bubble, you know? We didn't really get to know each other, or at least the real sides of each other until shit go serious," he explained.

"How so?"

"Well…we were just up there in our own little world. Sure we had problems, but our biggest problem was Cato catching us making out or Glimmer saying something bitchy. We didn't have real problems. Here…well….we're away from there and the bigger issues arise."

Distance. Money. Birth Control. Honesty. The future, he thought to himself.

Katniss nodded. "I get what you mean. I think so too."

They were quiet for a moment as Peeta moved back against the wall to sit beside her. They were side by side on her bed, their feet hanging off the edge as they both got temporarily lost in their own thoughts. Peeta looked over at her and finally spoke.

"Do you ever want to have kids?"

Katniss stared forward, her grey eyes searching the blank space before her. "I….hadn't thought about it much to be honest. I…it's never been a goal of mine. My only goals in life so far have been to have Prim through college and get my nursing degree. I would never bring a child into the world I couldn't take care of, and….I didn't ever see myself being able to use that much focus on anything but my sister and my education," she answered hoarsely.

Peeta turned forward again, his face somber. He had always wanted kids – always. He had many fond memories of being with his dad and brothers growing up. His dad was always taking them someplace cool, showing them how to do things, coaching and cheering them on…Peeta had always dreamed of having his own kids to do the same with someday.

Katniss didn't sound so sure.

It didn't matter though – he would give that up in a heartbeat if it wasn't what she wanted.

He just wanted to make sure he was what she always wanted.

"I'm sorry," she said finally breaking the silence.

"No," he shook his head. "You're just being truthful."

"It doesn't matter," she muttered, running her hands through her hair after yanking out the hair tie. "I might not have a choice here soon, so…"

"Don't say that. You don't know what's going to happen, Katniss. This might just be a scare for us that teaches us a lesson the hard way."

She rolled her head sideways against the wall and snorted. "Do you always sound like an after school special?" she laughed.

Peeta cracked a smile. "No, I just…."

"It's fine," she insisted with a laugh. "It's too early to take a test," she added quietly.

"I know. But we'll just….make it through til then. Yeah?"

"Yeah," she agreed.

Peeta let her lean against him, her weight a solid reminder that they were still holding on. Things had gone from bad to worse and they could potentially hit rock bottom depending on how the test came out. It wasn't that he dreaded a child or spending the rest of his life with Katniss; it was the struggles and obstacles that would surely come with it that he wasn't looking forward to. No part of raising a child while still a college student looked easy and he wanted them both to at least finish school. They were just starting their junior year. If Katniss really was pregnant, it would be a long couple of years ahead of them.

After a few more minutes, Katniss got up and changed into her pajamas. Peeta set his phone alarm for early the next morning, already dreading the drive back to his school. It would be another week before he could return and hopefully take Katniss back to his campus for another weekend together and he wasn't looking forward to the wait. A long distance relationship was proving to be extremely difficult, yet not for the reasons most people found them to be. While most of his friends who had them had difficulty staying faithful, Peeta struggled with the separation anxiety that came along with leaving her behind.

Don't think about it, he chided himself. Enjoy your time together and don't think about it.

He pulled Katniss against his chest as she draped a fleece blanket over their bodies. Her television was playing some old comedy movie he had seen a half a dozen times but it was strangely comforting. Katniss shifted against him and turned over.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?"

"For being you," she answered. He felt her lean up and slowly press her lips to his. It wasn't sexual or charged like most of their kisses; this was loving and sweet and very unlike Katniss. However, he understood her need for closeness and happily kissed her back. She let her lips linger on his for a moment before pulling away and smiling softly.

"I love you. I didn't mean to push you away this week," she whispered.

"I love you too. Just…don't do it again, okay? You have me, just don't break me."

Katniss nodded. "I won't."

It was well past eleven when they finally drifted off to sleep. They spent the night wrapped in each other's arms under her warm blanket. Peeta didn't think he could stand to sleep in a twin sized bed with anyone but Katniss. He slept more soundly with her squeezed against him in the cramped bed than he had all week. Her warm body was curled around his as she slept, hugging him to her to the entire night. It wasn't much, but he would happily take it.

When his alarm went off at six the next morning they both cringed and jumped awake. He silenced it quickly, sitting up with a wince. He knew six would come early, but this would be rougher than he could have ever anticipated. There was just enough time to drive back to his school, shower, and finish up his homework before his class that morning.

Katniss crawled over him and gracefully landed on the tile floor. She hurried over to her desk and flipped her coffee pot on before pulling on a tattered blue robe. Peeta yawned and stretched and tried his best to wake up as he slid back into his clothes. Even though he had just slept in his boxers, nothing remotely sexual had happened the night before. They had taken a sort of unspoken vow to not do anything again until they knew whether or not she was really pregnant.

As soon as he was dressed she handed him a plastic travel mug that smelled like coffee and hazelnut. She gave him a lopsided smile and shrugged. "I figured you'd need it for the drive back. Thank you…for coming."

Peeta accepted it gratefully and pulled her into a hug with his free arm. "I'm glad I did. I don't want this to drive a wedge between us. I love you too much for that," he admitted truthfully. He dug his nose into her hair and inhaled, trying to memorize the scent before he had to leave.

"I'm glad you were here."

"Me too."

"I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too."

They pulled apart and gazed at each other.

"So what do we do if I am?" she asked.

Peeta's lips were pressed into a thin line. He had researched all of their options, and knew they had at least one. "We…get married. Have the…baby," he choked out.

"What…what do you mean 'get married'?" she asked incredulously. "Just like that?"

Peeta put his hands on her shoulders and looked her square in the eye. "Yes. We get married. I transfer here and drop down to part time enrollment, we live in married student housing, and you finish school."

"You…you'd transfer here?"

Peeta blinked and stared at her. "Your school is the only one that offers housing for married couples and daycare. Plus…I could work for my dad at the bakery. Your school is closer to it than I am, so…that's what we would do. Hypothetically," he said softly. He squeezed his hands on her shoulders and bumped his forehead against hers.

Katniss seemed speechless. "You've thought about this," she said simply.

"Of course I have. This is our life. I already know I love you and want to be with you. This just…would cement it sooner is all."

Katniss sputtered a moment, her tired laugh coming out rough. "Peeta, you….I….there are no words," she admitted. "I'm worried about how to tell my little sister if I am pregnant and…and you've already decided the rest of our lives and you're just so….so calm about all of this I just….wow," she muttered.

He gave her a crooked smile. "Well isn't that what you wanted to hear?"

"I guess, I just…you amaze me. I don't deserve you," she said, grasping his hand in hers. Peeta kissed her forehead and sighed, jamming his other hand in the pocket of his hoodie.

"Yes you do. I think you need to flip that around. Now…I'd better go. Will you be alright this weekend?"

Katniss nodded. "I'll be fine. I feel strangely…better about everything."

"Good. I'm glad I came," he said softly. e With her "But I have to go if I want to make it to class."

"I know. Drive safely. Call me later?"

"Promise," he answered. "Can I just sneak out the same way we came in?"

"Yeah, you should be fine. Just use that back staircase."

Peeta nodded, pulling on his tattered Cincinnati hat and pulling her in for one last kiss. He tried once again to use the kiss to convey his utter love and devotion to her, pouring all of the hope he had left into it. They broke apart and sighed.

"Hey," he said softly. "We'll live through this."

Katniss nodded as he stepped out of her door. She leaned on the doorframe and gave him a scared but hopeful look. "I know."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: September 22nd

(Katniss POV)

Eleven.

Eleven days.

Her fingers hovered over the keys, trying to decide the proper question to type into Google. Finally she just typed in the first question that popped into her head. Might as well.

How long after sex can you take a pregnancy test?

The search results seemed to be pointing in one direction – there were tests that could tell her within six days before her missed period. It had been eleven days since their 'accident' as she now called it, and she was about twelve days away from her next period.

"Fuck," she muttered. It would be almost another week and a half before she could even think of taking an early detection test. She closed the search box and tried her best to get back to her homework. She hadn't been able to concentrate for an entire week and a half and she was sure her grades were slipping as a result. But how could she possibly try to think of school with this looming over her head? She wasn't sure.

Peeta's visit last week had been completely unexpected but exactly what they needed. It was exactly a week ago that he had surprised her outside of class – confronted was more like it – and forced her to talk about her fears. Peeta had made her tell him straight out what she was afraid of and exactly why she was avoiding him. Her heart ached in her chest at the memory. She had been acting like a child avoiding him like she had but she didn't know what else to do or how to handle things now.

She had put herself in a position for failure by choice for the first time in her life and she was paying the price. Allowing herself to get caught up in a serious relationship was something she never thought she would do at this point in her life. But how could she fight it? When she first laid eyes on Peeta at Camp Panem back in June he had made something stir inside of her that she didn't know she had. The part of her that was capable of love like that had been dormant since her father passed away and her mother checked out. Peeta had awakened her. What followed after discovering what true love could bring was a thrilling, terrifying free fall. However, Peeta was teaching her that the risk was worth it. Or almost worth it. She still wasn't sure. As much as she loved him and believed he would help her through this, she still doubted herself. If she was really pregnant, could she handle it? Young mothers looked strong. Fierce, almost. Did she have what it took? Nothing about it looked easy.

Pushing the thought from her mind, she focused instead on Peeta's picture on the wall. Summer had been so different; Peeta was right about his 'bubble' theory. Camp Panem had been a bubble for them. They were away from the real world, real problems, and everything else. They didn't have to face anything at Camp. They had spent most of the summer together in a blissful little secret, keeping their relationship from most of the people there until the last possible second. Their problems were minimal and their love had been allowed to blossom and grow and give them unreal expectations.

In the real world their problems weren't so few and far in-between. Now a giant problem was staring them right in the face and she had nothing to do but wait.

Katniss slammed her laptop closed, disappointed it hadn't been enough time yet. She was going crazy and simply wanted to get it over with. She had an appointment at the student health center at the end of next week, and she was working up the courage to ask about her condition (or possible one). There was no time for fear and avoidance – if she was really pregnant, she needed to face the music and take the steps needed to take care of herself.

But she would worry about that next week. Her eyes drifted to her nearly finished homework. It wasn't due until next week, but she didn't want to have anything distracting her that weekend. It was Thursday afternoon and she was waiting to go to her biology lab. It had been a week since she had seen Peeta, but they had a Skype date later that night that she was looking forward to. He was coming to pick her up tomorrow afternoon after classes to go to his school for the weekend and she couldn't be more excited for it. She craved alone time with him, even if it was G-rated time. She was pretty sure they were both too scared to touch each other after their accident. As silly as it sounded, she was afraid it would make her situation worse. Of course she realized that was completely ridiculous, but still….she was afraid.

She still had about half an hour to kill, so she picked up her clunky room phone and dialed her home number. Prim picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" she asked meekly. She sounded upset.

"Prim? It's me."

"Oh…hi Katniss."

"What's wrong? You sound sad."

"No, I'm fine," her little sister said. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting to go to my biology lab. What are you doing? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just…I had a bad day."

Katniss' stomach lurched. Prim had that wounded voice she used when something had happened at school she was usually too embarrassed to tell her about. Like the time last year when the mean girls had put sanitary pads all over her locker and laughed at her in the middle of the hallway. While the school had written it off as a childish prank, it was something that had completely mortified her sister. It had taken Prim days to even work up the courage to tell Katniss what had happened.

"What happened Primrose? You can tell me," Katniss replied, reverting back to her sister's full name. Prim pretended to hate it, but it was what they used when she was upset or in trouble. Today she sounded like she was extremely miserable.

"Nothing, I…."

Prim faltered on the other line, a little sob escaping her mouth. Katniss' heart broke as she listened to her little sister cry.

"I had to tell Rory…I couldn't go…to H-Homecoming," she hiccupped.

"What? Why? Prim, what happened? Tell me!"

"Mom didn't have time to help me and we….we c-c-couldn't find a dress. All the g-girls are wearing long ones this year, or at least that's what they're all saying and I didn't want to look weird or not like the rest of them."

"Prim, you never have to look exactly the same as everyone else," Katniss told her gently. "What happened to being an individual? Who cares?"

"I do Katniss! If I look funny then they'll just start in on me again and….I don't want to draw attention to myself. If my dress is different then they'll just tease me about it and…"

"Is that what this is about? Have girls been bullying you again?"

Prim's silent sobs on the other end of the phone told her what she had been dreading. All freshman year a group of relentlessly mean and cruel girls had singled Prim out and teased her. Katniss was sure it was because her little sister was beautiful and had seemed to completely skip puberty – She was positive it stemmed from jealousy. Prim's long, flowing blonde hair was never frizzy; her pale, snow white complexion was always clear and her tall, slender body had remained graceful as ever. That paired with the fact that they were dirt poor didn't usually help matters. Prim was stuck in second hand clothes, hand me down shoes and outdated purses. While she didn't care in the least, it had made her a target for the mean girls.

The girls at high school had picked her apart last year, piece by piece until her little sister had begged to be home schooled. She had been an insecure mess when she arrived at Camp Panem. The summer had done wonders for Prim though – she had made friends, gotten a boyfriend in Rory and had the time of her life. Now that she was back at school as a sophomore, things were clearly picking back up again.

"What did they do? Do you want me to talk to their mothers?"

"No!" Prim shrieked into the phone. "That would only make it worse, Katniss…pleeeease don't."

"Fine, fine. What happened?"

"They…they started this rumor that I….that Rory and I….have sex all the time. Katniss…they're calling me a slut and I've never even had sex!"

Katniss' eyebrows shot up in shock. High school kids cared about that? She figured they were all probably having sex, weren't they? Why would they care about Prim and Rory?

"Prim, what….why?"

"The guys were mad at Rory for not playing football because he has to babysit Posy after schools and on the weekends, so…so they're being mean to him too. And then the girls just hate me anyway and…and they made up this awful rumor that we had sex on the football field one night and we didn't! Katniss, we didn't!" she cried.

"I know you didn't Prim, it's okay."

"Katniss I wouldn't do that. I just wouldn't. But these girls are so mean and if I show up at the dance in a dress not like theirs they'll ruin it. So…I told Rory I couldn't go and now I think he's mad at me."

"Prim, I doubt Rory is mad at you. He never gets mad," Katniss sighed.

She feared she wasn't being a very good big sister in this scenario. She wouldn't have even bothered to entertain the idea of going to Homecoming in the first place. But things like this were important to Prim. Prim had been a little social butterfly at their tiny little junior high school, but the larger hallways of the District 12 High hadn't been as kind.

At fourteen years old her sister was already fragile from a year of bullying during her freshman year. Katniss had actually been very happy to learn that she and Gale's younger brother Rory had begun dating over the summer because Rory wasn't like other boys his age. He enjoyed spending time with his younger siblings Vick and Posy. He liked outdoorsy stuff, teaching his siblings things, and fiddling around in their garage with anything he could find that had a motor. Having Rory as her boyfriend had done a lot to help her self-esteem. Katniss' heart broke when she found out that the boys were now giving him a hard time because he couldn't' play football. He turned down a walk on spot on the football team to babysit Posy for his mother so that she could work and was one of the mildest tempered kids she had ever met. He spent his evenings watching My Little Pony, doing laundry, and cooking Mac N'Cheese. She doubted Rory was 'upset' with Prim, but she would have to take her sister's word for it.

"So you don't even want to go now?"

Prim sighed. "Of course I want to go. Rory even got a new pair of dress pants for it. But…I can't. Mom could only give me forty dollars for a dress and I couldn't find anything. Our Goodwill has nothing this time of year and I didn't know where else to look. You didn't have anything in your closet at home."

"Oh God Prim, don't even bother looking there," Katniss laughed. "Listen, what if I helped you find a dress? Would you still want to go?"

Prim sniffed on the other end of the line. "Yes."

Katniss opened the Skype icon on her laptop and waited. All through her Bio lab she had thought about possible ways to help her sister, and she could only come up with one thing: she would have to skip her weekend with Peeta to go home to help her. Of course that was another problem entirely as she had left her car at home that semester for Prim to use as practice when she got her learner's permit in a few weeks. She would need to secure a ride home in order to even help her in the first place.

Peeta's face appeared on the screen. "Heyyyyy," he waved happily.

"Hey," she waved back.

"What's up?"

"Just got back from Bio."

"Oh yeah? How was that?"

"Thrilling," she laughed. "What are you up to?"

He shrugged. "Mark and Cassie went out to dinner, so I'm just chilling here by myself," he answered.

"Take off that stupid hat, I can't see you," she laughed.

Peeta pulled off his red had and grinned at her through the webcam, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. She fixated on his jawline and bit back a grin. Things between them were good again and she was glad. His impromptu trip last week had been exactly what they needed to rebuild their relationship. Of course things still weren't perfect but they were making it work.

They had to.

"How's that? Now can you see me?"

"Great," she laughed. "Listen…I have a weird request."

"Shoot," he said happily, bobbing his head.

"Will you sit still?" she laughed. "What's got you all worked up?"

"Ummm I get to see you tomorrow? And I get you to myself for an entire weekend."

"About that," she sighed. "I just talked to Prim. She's getting bullied at school again."

Peeta stopped bobbing happily and abruptly frowned. "What? That sucks, I'm sorry. If I was bigger I'd go there and kick some ass for her."

"No, they're all fourteen and fifteen year old girls. I was just tempted to show up and tell on them to their mothers and maybe get in a few snide comments about their small chests and Jersey Shore spray tans," she laughed. "Prim just…doesn't fit in with them and they're making her life a living hell. I feel awful. You know they made up some awful rumor that she and Rory had sex on the football field?"

Peeta wrinkled his nose. "That doesn't sound like either of them."

"Oh they didn't do it. Prim isn't like that. I mean, she likes Rory a lot but I doubt she would go that far with him. Plus Rory is….very smart and cautious."

"That's good," Peeta agreed. "He's a good kid, I remember him from camp. He's perfect for her."

"Well, she's thinks he's mad at her. She told him she didn't want to go to Homecoming with him because she couldn't find a dress."

"She couldn't?" Peeta frowned.

Katniss shifted uncomfortably in front of the Skype cam sighed. "Well…she couldn't afford one like all the other girls are wearing."

"Ooooh," Peeta sighed. "Well can't you help her?"

"That's what I was going to ask. Do you care if we postpone this weekend while I go home and help her find a dress? She needs this Peeta. I don't want her to miss out on this kinda stuff. I was okay with missing it….it wasn't really my thing. But it's hers and it's killing me that she's not going to go."

Peeta's face fell in the box on her screen. He was visibly disappointed but worked to replace his sorrow with a bright smile. "Of course Katniss. I don't care, I get it. We can postpone, yeah."

Her shoulders fell. "I'm sorry. I know…we needed this," she admitted sadly. He mirrored her expression, nodding.

"I know, but Prim needs help and you're her big sister; of course you want to come to her rescue," Peeta said.

"Right. You swear you're not mad?"

"Well…no, of course I'm not mad. But…do you think I could maybe come with you?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want to come dress shopping?"

Peeta shrugged. "I want to see you. If I have to spend my Friday night walking around a mall with you, then so be it. I just want to be together, Katniss. Besides…don't you need a ride home if you're going?"

She sat back in her desk chair and stared at him helplessly as he gave her a knowing smirk.

"Come on. Let me help you save the day."

"Knight in shining armor, eh?"

"Or…a semi-new sedan. Whatever. And it's black, not white."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. You can come. Does that mean you're coming home with me for the whole weekend?"

"Will your mom care?"

"She probably works all weekend. I doubt she's even aware of Prim's dilemma," Katniss shrugged. "I'm sorry about this. I know you wanted me to come to your school this weekend and hang out, but…"

Peeta leaned forward, his blue eyes wide and honest. "I just want to see you, okay? It doesn't matter. We'll get Prim a dress and you can help her get ready for the dance and we'll…go see a movie or something."

Katniss sighed. "You're my knight in shining armor whether you want to admit it or not, Mellark."

He grinned at her through the screen and nodded. "I'm hoping to be, yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had a great one this year!
> 
> Next chapter we'll have these two reunited and we'll get some fun stuff going on : )
> 
> Please review and have a great rest of the week!
> 
> Remember to add me on twitter for updates! @TwilightCakes


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: September 23rd

(Katniss POV)

"You're sure you don't mind?"

Peeta glanced over at her as her question hung in the air, a bright smile plastered on his face. He had just picked Katniss up from her school and the pair was driving back to Katniss' hometown for the weekend. She still couldn't believe he had agreed to go with her to help Prim find a dress for the dance but she wasn't complaining. Any chance to see Peeta was one she would happily take.

"I'm sure I'm sure," he repeated, nodding at her. "You don't think I'd pass up the chance to spend the weekend at the Everdeen house, do you?"

Katniss shrugged, looking out the window as the scenery turned a little more familiar. She only lived about forty five minutes from her school, but due to her busy schedule she rarely made it home. Her car was at home that semester so that Prim could practice driving when she got her permit in a few weeks, so her transportation was limited for a while.

"You'll have to sleep on the couch. My mom won't be home but if she came home early from work and found you in my bed there would be a freak out of mass proportions."

"That's fine, I don't care," Peeta insisted. "I really don't mind sleeping on the couch. I actually really want to help Prim."

"You do?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I mean…she's a great girl. I really got to know her this summer when she and her group would come and bake in my class and it sucks that she's having a hard time."

"I guess."

Peeta cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat. "I used to get picked on for being kinda short…and chubby," he admitted quietly. His face turned a slightly reddish color as he stared forward at the road.

Katniss' eyes bulged. "You did?"

Peeta nodded. "Well yeah! I spent all my weekends in a bakery Katniss. Before too long all the cookies and cupcakes caught up with me and I was a little chub that was getting picked last for every team. I had chipmunk cheeks and a stomach that made me look like a miniature Santa Clause. My mom finally made me join a few sports that made me run and sweat. That mixed with puberty and about a twelve inch growth spurt really helped me. But before then…the kids called me 'Butterball' behind my back. It sucks to get picked on, no matter who you are."

"I did not know that about you," she said softly. "Well…you certainly aren't a butterball now."

"No," he chuckled, "but I certainly remember what it was like to get picked on for something I had no control over. I hated being short and chubby with a passion but what could I do? I was nine years old and clueless. I can still remember how it felt to never get picked for anything and to always wonder what the cool kids were saying about you. That's a sucky feeling and honestly I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"I'm so sorry," she said, still trying to picture a young, plump version of Peeta.

"It's alright. Just saying; I can sympathize."

Katniss nodded. "Yeah…we were fine until my dad died. When his insurance money ran out and mom had to go back to work we…struggled. And it was right around the time where I started noticing the popular girls getting designer jeans and new purses every week. I couldn't keep up so I really got picked on. But…I didn't care about any of that. It's weird really; I ignored it so it stopped. They didn't get any reaction from me because I'm tough but Prim is…different. She's so fragile," Katniss said. "I don't think Prim can hide her hurt as well as I could and it just fuels their fire. She doesn't have the things they do and I know it upsets her even if she'd never admit it. She's so strong but…just in a different way."

Peeta moved into the other lane and glanced over at her. "It's tough to be strong when you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Katniss glanced at Peeta over the rows of dresses, watching as Prim flipped through the racks. They had already found several she liked, but with price tags in the three digit range they were out of her league financially.

"I don't have to go, Katniss."

"Yes, you do," she insisted, noting Prim's embarrassed expression. Peeta was trying his best to be helpful and point out what dresses fell in their price range, but that didn't seem to be helping. As much as Prim loved Peeta it just seemed to make her even more timid to have him tagging along.

Peeta pulled a dress off the rack and held it out. "This would look good on you."

Prim nodded, her fingers slipping to the side of the garment to turn the price tag over. Katniss watched her wince as she saw the number on the tag. "It's very pretty, Peeta," she said politely. Peeta frowned in confusion as Prim walked sadly away, sighing loudly as she began hunting through the gowns again.

"What's wrong with this? She'd look killer in pink. Especially this shade…"

Katniss rolled her eyes at her fashion aware boyfriend and gently took the dress from him. "It's a little out of our price range, Mr. Runway."

Peeta scoffed at her nickname and tried not to laugh. "What? My mom watches Project Runway in the summers and…sometimes I'm stuck watching it with her, that's all."

"Right," she laughed. "This is perfect but it's…more than I can swing."

"But she could wear it?"

Katniss glanced over the tops of the racks to make sure Prim wasn't in earshot. She flipped over the price tag. "Peeta, she could wear it, sure. But for two hundred and twenty six dollars our whole family has to be able to wear it."

Peeta nodded. "I see. Well…I could always loan her some money to-"

"No. The last thing she'll want is a pity loan. That's the worst," Katniss said sharply. She winced at the tone of her voice as she realized how harsh she had sounded. "Especially one we can't pay back."

People had offered handouts to them in the past when things had been tight. Katniss had never really considered it charity because she always felt the need to pay back whatever had been given to them. If Peeta did help her buy Prim a dress, she knew she would stress over paying him back until it was done. She found the stress of actually getting a handout was never as fulfilling as the handout itself. She had turned away from a helping hand more than one time since her father's death.

Peeta's shoulder slumped a little lower as he gave her a wobbly smile. "Sorry."

"It's ok," she muttered continuing to flip through the racks. Snapping at poor Peeta wouldn't get her anywhere and she knew that. The dresses at the store they were in were so pricy. Katniss had brought them to one of the slightly more upscale malls in the district, hoping they might be able to find a sale priced dress at one of the nice stores that was possibly on clearance. They had found a lot so far but none of it seemed to be anything they could realistically do. They were either in the wrong size or weren't anything her sister was interested in wearing.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I swear," he promised.

Katniss looked over at him and reached back to squeeze his hand. He looked completely panicked to have brought up the subject of money again and that wasn't her intent. She didn't mean to make him feel bad for obviously coming from a family with some money; she just didn't want him to think she was into taking handouts. "I know you didn't."

He sighed, obviously feeling out of his element in the endless racks of dresses. "I'm gonna go get one of those pretzels in the food court. Do you guys want lemonades?"

Prim gave him a rueful smile from a few isles away and added a pitiful nod. Katniss rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I'd love one. Thank you. We'll be here when you get back," she promised. Peeta turned on his heel and walked toward the mouth of the department store with his hands shoved dejectedly in the pockets of his jeans. Katniss sighed, mentally kicking herself. She hadn't meant to berate him for bringing up money again.

"Why can't we just be rich?" Prim whined. "Or why can't mom at least let me get a part time job?"

"She wants you to study," Katniss sighed, tossing her arm around Prim's shoulders. She watched as her little sister lazily thumbed through the dresses, her gaze growing more forlorn and desolate with each hanger that slid across the metal rack.

"I know but I get good enough grades – I could at least work on the weekends. My babysitting money is getting me nowhere," Prim groaned. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and her little sister took on a threatening look Katniss hadn't seen before. "And neither is snapping at Peeta."

Katniss hung her head. "I know. I need to tell him I'm sorry."

"Yeah you do," Prim stated firmly. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to you. He didn't mean it as pity or charity Katniss. Not everyone thinks that way you do."

"Prim!"

"Well!"

"Just…cut me some slack, okay? I'm sorry I snapped at him and I'll tell him that later. He knows money is…"

"What?"

"A…sensitive subject."

Prim sniffed to herself as she pulled out a dress. "He has money, doesn't he?"

Katniss gave her a stern sideways glare. "That's rude."

"Not if I discuss it with you and not him. He comes from money, I can tell."

"You can't tell."

"I can so! Look at his hair. Even shaggy you can tell he goes and gets it styled nicely. He doesn't go to Bargain Clips like Rory does. And I can tell he wears nice cologne."

"You couldn't possibly know all that," Katniss scoffed, pulling out a dress. Prim wrinkled her nose but checked the price tag. She accepted it with a sigh and added it to the stack to go into the dressing room with.

"Yes I do. He smells nice…and so does his car. His very new car. I notice these things even if you don't."

"So? What difference does it make?"

"You're the one making a big deal of it Katniss; I'm just the one who pays attention."

"Fine. Are you trying those on or not?"

"I'm going," Prim said finally. She hurried off to the dressing room and began the daunting task of trying on dresses. By the time Peeta returned a half an hour later, Prim had finally found a dress in their price range. It was two sizes too big and missing a few beads on the glittery shoulder strap, but Katniss had managed to talk the sales clerk down forty dollars because of it. Peeta walked up just as they were being handed the receipt.

"You found one!" he gasped, handing them their drinks. Prim sucked half the lemonade down in one gulp and nodded happily.

"We did!"

Katniss' eyes widened. "You'd better pray I remember how to sew little girl," she said. Even though the prospect of having to sew again terrified her, she couldn't deny the relief she felt at having found Prim a dress. "I hope mom's sewing kit has some thread this shade of blue."

"She will. She has to take in and let out my clothes all the time," Prim explained. "Katniss used to help her."

"You can sew?" Peeta asked in amusement.

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Yeah…I had to learn. Anyway, let's go home and get to work, Little Duck. I've got some sewing to do before your pumpkin arrives to take you to the ball."

Katniss tip toed down the hall, peeking into the living room. It was late and she had just finished making the adjustments on Prim's dress. As exhausted as she was, she was looking forward to spending some private time with Peeta. They had barely been alone since they got there earlier in the evening and she wanted to thank him for being so patient while they shopped. Peeta was awake still, draped across their small couch with a Business Management textbook balancing on his chest. She grinned and walked over to join him. Seeing her approach, he quickly ditched the book on the carpet and opened his arms to let her slide in beside him.

"You're still awake," she breathed, hugging him tightly.

"Yeah. Trying to get some studying done while I'm here. Did the dress fit?"

"Finally, yeah. I'm no miracle worker or talented sewer, but I finally got the damn sewing machine to behave. I think that thing is older than Prim."

Peeta chuckled and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "You're an awesome big sister, you do know that right?"

"No, I just…do what I have to do. That's the way I've always been."

He studied her face for a second, his stare making her shift a bit under the scrutiny. "What?"

"Learn to take a compliment. You just…you always try to be so strong. It's magnificent but…you don't always have to be like this you know."

She shrugged. "After dad…died, I…I had to be. Mom had to go back to work and it was just us. If I fell apart, so did Prim. I learned early on that she watched me and followed my lead. She was always okay if I was so…"

"I love that you're strong," he said. "Don't get me wrong. But…you can lean on me sometimes, you know?"

"I know…okay fine, I'm learning that. I'm learning to lean on you."

"Good."

"It takes practice."

"Right," he said softly, lifting a hand up to touch her face. He moved his fingertips back to her scalp, lightly brushing her hair back from her face. Katniss felt like purring it felt so nice.

"If I lean on you, can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything," he said quickly. Katniss snorted.

"If I learn to ask you for help sometimes can you…possibly give Prim and Rory a ride to the dance?"

Peeta chuckled softly. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, she…begged me to ask you. If you couldn't then Rory's mom will have to drive them in her minivan and…she swears that would be social suicide. I guess kids get limos and crap for these stupid dances."

"Yeah, I remember. No, that's fine. I don't mind at all. Maybe we could…have a date while they're out?"

"A date? We have dates?"

Peeta smirked and gave her another light kiss on the mouth. "No, we have marathon sex sessions on my futon that last so long we miss dinner. I'm talking about a real date. A date where I take you to dinner and a movie."

"Really?"

"We have yet to go on a real, honest date Miss Everdeen," he pointed out sternly. "We've made out on soccer fields, had sex in tents, fooled around in outdoor showers and missed dinner reservations. We have not had a real date. Let me take you out. We need this….with everything…"

"Yeah, I…I know," she admitted. "Okay. It's a date."

"Mmmm…I like the sound of that," he whispered, leaning down. Their lips met softly, melting into one another as they kissed. Peeta shifted on the couch to hover over her, his tongue sliding across her upper lip. Katniss quickly lost herself in his kisses, allowing him to lick his way into her mouth. The kiss deepened until their tongues were touching and caressing aggressively. She wasn't sure where he ended and she began as he rolled over on top of her and fell between her legs. Her thin pajama pants allowed her to feel his hard length as it sat nestled against in the juncture of her thigh. He ground himself against her and groaned into her mouth.

"Fuck I've missed you," he whispered against her lips. Katniss whimpered as she felt her body start to react to his. She wanted to – badly – but she knew they couldn't.

For many reasons.

"I….we can't," she finally managed to spit out. Peeta's blue eyes flicked up to meet hers.

"I know."

"You do?"

He nodded. "I…I don't think we should either. We're at your mom's house and I know she isn't home but…"

"Well there's that and…we don't know yet," she said softly, reaching up to touch his cheek. She didn't need to elaborate – the look in his eyes told her he knew what she was referring to. They still had a few more days before she could take an early detection test. Their future was still very much up in the air.

"I know we don't. And I…we don't have to do this. I just want to be near you," he pleaded. "I want you to know that I still love you so much, even if we can't…"

"I know," she said quickly. "I know you do. I love you too. And…I didn't mean to snap at you earlier."

"When?"

She covered her face with her hand and blew a ragged breath against it. "God Peeta, I snap at you so much I have to point out which time I'm referring to," she groaned. "In Macys, when we were looking at the dresses. You offered to help me pay for Prim's dress and I…bit your head off for no reason."

"Oh," he said slowly, rolling off of her. He shifted enough to pull her beside him on the couch, their feet tangled together as he propped himself up on his elbow. "It's alright, just…it would be nice if you'd just let me help you sometimes."

"Yeah but…then I'd feel like I owed you something. Or like I had to pay you back."

"But you don't."

"But that's how I'd feel. Ulgh, I'm sorry. I guess I should ask how you mean?"

"Like the phone thing. It would make me so happy to get you one, but…you refuse because you think its charity or pity when it would just be a gift. It's something that would make you safer and be there for an emergency and just…so I can talk to you. It would make your life easier and sometimes you make me feel like some villain for wanting to help you. I care about you and want to show you."

"You do show me though…in…other ways," she coughed suggestively. "And by just being there for me when I need you. You show me all the time."

"Right, but…is it such a crime that I might want to take you to dinner or buy you a present? To me that's…that's treating you like a lady. I'm not trying to be chauvinistic or pigheaded or anything," he said quickly, holding up his free hand, "but just trying to treat you well. I finally have you and I want to spoil you sometimes. You don't owe me anything in return but maybe a hug or a kiss or a 'thank you'. It's just stuff. I don't want you to freak out on me every time that turns out to be something of material value. I don't expect anything out of it."

"But…you just have to understand that's foreign to me. I…my dad always taught me to be proud of who I am and where we come from and…the little girl in me wonders what he would think of that."

Peeta sighed. "If your dad is anything like you…strong, smart…creative…an individual…then he wouldn't have a problem with some guy trying to treat his little girl the best way he knew how. That's all it is. Please believe me."

Her eyes pricked with tears at the mention of her father but she blinked them back. Peeta was right – her father wouldn't see his actions as any sort of shameful deed that she should avoid. He'd see it as Peeta trying his best to provide of her and show her he loved her.

For the first time in her life, she was able to differentiate between 'pity' and 'support'.

"I do, Mellark," she sighed, touching his cheek lightly. "I believe you. Because I don't think you could tell a lie. And…I might even let you get me that phone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to follow me on Twitter at @TwilightCakes for story updates and Q&A. I don't bite : )


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: September 24th

(Peeta's POV)

Peeta put his car into park and waved as he watched Prim and her date, Rory, exit. The pair was ecstatic that they didn't have to ride to the dance in Rory's mother's minivan. Katniss squealed in the back of her throat as she watched her sister arrange her dress once she was out on the sidewalk. It had turned out spectacularly; a long, flowing blue gown that made her legs look miles long and her thin, trim body look like a supermodel's. His leg bounced nervously as she waved to her sister and handed her a rather clunky looking digital camera.

"For tonight," she said. Prim squealed and shoved it into her small clutch. Rory gave them a wave and promised to call when they were ready to head home. Katniss sucked in a nervous breath as the duo walked into the hotel where the dance was being held.

"You okay?"

"What? Yeah. Just…so glad she got to go. Wow…I didn't think she was going to do it there for a while."

"Seriously? Girls love this sort of thing."

"Yeah, but I thought those nasty bitches were going to keep her from doing it."

"I did too I guess," he said, pulling away from the curb. "I'm glad she went too. Are there chaperones and stuff there? Make sure none of that goes down at the dance?"

Katniss nodded. "She said some of her teachers would be there and they would look out for her. Isn't that sad that she's happy she'll have teachers there at the dance to protect her from bullies? Like…jeez. Prim is lucky she's so likeable."

"Good. Well…we officially have five hours to kill. How about dinner and then a movie?"

"Sounds good," she agreed easily, grinning at him as if to say 'See? I can let you treat me!' Peeta beamed and headed back to the mall they were in the night before. It had several restaurants nearby and a movie theater inside they could go to, so he thought it would be perfect to kill some time in until Prim called them to go home. She looked perfect that night and he could hardly wait to show her off.

As Peeta drove he let his eyes momentarily slip down to take in the view of Katniss' legs in the floral dress she was wearing. It was shorter than anything he'd seen her in before, it had pink in it, and was a soft cotton material that clung to her body and moved when she walked: practically every guy's fantasy outfit. Glancing back at the road, he knew he would have a difficult time keeping his promise to her to slow things down for a while if she kept dressing like that. As predictable and 'male' as it felt to drool over his girlfriend in a short dress, he couldn't help himself. Katniss looked good.

As they parked and got out of his car, she pulled on a worn, cropped jean jacket he hadn't seen before either. Her dark hair was down and wavy, framing her face in perfect waves. It blew and moved bouncily in the fall air as they walked into one of the restaurants.

"You look really beautiful tonight," he said sincerely, pulling the door open for her. Katniss gave him a coy little smile.

"Thank you. I've never been here before," she said brightly, looking around at the décor.

"It's perfect then," he chuckled. The host walked up and led them to a table, turning to check out Katniss' ass before she slid into the booth. Peeta cleared his throat in annoyance, clenching his jaw and squaring his shoulders slightly.

"Thanks," he said, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. Katniss didn't notice as the two exchanged a look. The guy scrambled away as Peeta sat down in the booth across from her.

"What's eating you?" she asked a few minutes later, noticing he hadn't picked up his menu. Peeta bit back an amused smile as her eyes flicked up over the menu to meet his.

"You didn't notice that?"

"Notice what?"

"That guy was practically eye fucking you as we walked in," he whispered. He watched as her eyes widened a little larger at his choice of words. She had told him once that hearing him occasionally swear really turned her on.

"What guy?" she asked in annoyance, looking around. He laughed and reached across the table for her hand.

"The host. He was looking at your ass. Not that I blame him – I take back what I said earlier. You don't look beautiful…you look freaking hot. I have to ask – where did this little ensemble come from? I've only ever seen you in that jean skirt back at camp."

Katniss' cheeks flashed with redness and he knew she realized he was referring to the jean skirt he had pushed up around her waist while they were alone on the soccer field one night at Camp. It was the first time he had gone down on her and the thought of it clearly still made him horny to this day. Her eyes looked down at the menu as her cheeks continued to grow in color.

"Something wrong?"

She shifted and shook her head quickly, clearing her throat. "No, I um…I remember that skirt is all." Peeta watched as she looked over her menu at him. "This is just a dress I used to wear in the summers when it got hot. I didn't think I'd need it at camp…or at school…so it's just been tucked away in my closet at home."

He let his eyes discreetly flash to her chest, knowing she could see. He didn't know what had gotten into him that night but he was suddenly so horny he could hardly stand it. It could have been their pact to keep their hands off of each other or maybe it was the host openly checking her out – either way he was enjoying making her squirm.

Peeta laughed out loud when their waiter came and could barely take his eyes off of her long enough to take their order. When he offered them margaritas at half price Peeta was almost pissing himself from trying not to burst out laughing. The waiter was maybe his age, a little older. Every time Katniss would look down at her menu to order he would let his eyes roam down her chest and peek into the floral cotton dress.

"Oh, I don't need a margarita. Aren't those the huge ones?" she asked shyly, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah," the waiter flirted back. "They're in these big glasses and come in all sorts of flavors and stuff – we use the best booze we have to make them."

"I don't need-"

"Oh yes, she does. I don't, but she definitely does," Peeta insisted, shoving the menu back at the waiter with a laugh. "What flavor do you want?"

"Oh um…raspberry?"

The waiter gave her a flirty wink and nodded before hurrying off to get her drink. Katniss gave Peeta an incredulous look with a giggle.

"I don't need a giant margarita Peeta."

"Don't worry…I'm sure we won't be paying for it," he laughed. "He'll give it to you for free. If I ordered one he'd probably just charge me double for being your date. You look so hot tonight that guys are crawling out of the woodwork to flirt with you Everdeen," he chuckled. Katniss smiled and gave him a tiny wink.

"You really think I look good?"

Peeta nodded, clasping his hands in front of his mouth with another smirk. Her drink came soon after, the waiter dropping it off to their table along with their appetizer. Peeta sucked on his water, his mouth suddenly dry as he watched his girlfriend lick a bit of sugar off the rim of her glass. He had to shift slightly to avoid embarrassing himself with his tightening pants. Katniss took a long pull off the straw and smiled.

"This is good. Try it," she urged. Peeta did take a tiny sip, glad he hadn't ordered one. There was a lot of liquor in it and he wondered if she could handle it. He knew she didn't drink very often, but he hoped she enjoyed her margarita enough to loosen up and enjoy herself on their date. The last few weeks had been so serious and stressful that he was really looking forward to breaking away from it all, even if it was only temporary.

They talked happily about memories of summer camp and wondered how the kids were doing at school that year. Their food came and was delicious, prompting them to steal bites from the other's plates as they talked and ate. He watched from across the table as Katniss smiled and laughed and finally looked like a semblance of her old self – the worry lines and dark circles under her eyes seemed to fade as the night wore on and she began to enjoy herself.

Peeta paid the check just as she was finishing the last of her drink. She stood and wobbled a bit, grabbing his hand to steady herself.

"You alright?"

"Fine," she laughed, following him out of the restaurant. "You're a great first date, Mellark."

Peeta gave the host a friendly wave as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pushed the doors open for her. He could feel the guy glaring at his back on the way out, but he didn't care. Tonight he was out on the town with Katniss Everdeen.

They walked through the mall to the movie theater, their hands swinging between them. Peeta was on cloud nine; he hadn't been out on a real date with a girl since high school. Since he and Cassie had never really dated, they hadn't ever gone out to eat or anything of that nature. He didn't date much in high school, so it felt pretty nice to have a girl like Katniss on his arm. They stood outside the theater, easily picking out what they wanted to see. They still had about forty five minutes before it was due to start, so Peeta pulled her into a Barnes and Noble next door to look at books while they waited. Katniss loved to read, so he knew she would enjoy browsing for a bit.

"I'm gonna go look at the Literature section, okay? I'll be over there."

"Fine," he said softly, jamming his hands in his pockets. She still seemed a little giggly from her drink, but was otherwise unaffected. Shaking his head with a little laugh, he perused the store for a few minutes before stopping in one particular section that caught his eye.

Health & Wellness

He was about to walk on past when he noticed a book title that made him stop. Looking around, he made sure he was alone in the aisle before reaching out and slowly sliding the book out and into his hands.

"'Kama Sutra: The Perfect Bedside Companion'," he read quietly to himself, flipping through the book. "Huh."

His eyes widened slightly as he realized what the book was about. It had pictures. Well, cartoon, but still. His eyes got even wider as he read the introduction. It promised to be a reliable bedside go-to guide for spicing up or intensifying a sexual relationship.

"You don't say," he muttered to himself as he flipped through the pages. His eyes scanned as many as he could, soaking up all the information. The pictures made his cheeks burn a little but he didn't mind. He kept picturing Katniss in all of these positions, her tan body ready and willing and bending.

"Holy shit," he gasped, gaping down at one of the poses. He was a guy so he had seen porn before, but this was by far the most erotic thing he had ever laid eyes on. His mouth went dry as he pictured doing more of the suggestions with Katniss.

"Peeta!"

He cleared his throat and slammed the book shut as he heard Katniss approaching. She hurried over to him with a bright smile as her eyes looked at the book he had in his hands. "What are you looking at?"

"Um…uh…j-just a book."

She leaned over and tried to read it upside down, opting instead to snatch it playfully from his hands. She read the title and gasped, immediately turning to make sure no one was watching. "What the hell are you doing with this?" she giggled.

Peeta laughed, grabbing it back. "I was just…researching. For…future…n-needs," he explained. His face burned hotly as he pulled her closer by the cuff of her denim jacket. "It's hot."

Katniss looked around guiltily again, her own face flushed and slightly red as she glanced down at the book. Her eyes went a little wide as she flipped through a few pages and saw just what he was reading. "This is….wow," she muttered. "Why are you reading this?"

"What? Oh, um…I just-"

"I mean…is it…am I…are we bored already?!"

"What?! No! Oh God, no, I just….I just saw it and I was curious and…God no, I'm not bored. Are…are you?" he asked quietly.

She blinked her silvery eyes and laughed. "No! Not at all, I just…I was worried you….this is awkward."

"Yeah, sorry," he said, sliding the book back to the shelves. "We should um…probably head back to the movie theater. How much time do we have?"

"About ten minutes."

"Good, I wanna get some popcorn." He grabbed her hand, noticing it was slightly sweaty. Glancing over at her, he saw she was still blushing slightly as they walked towards the movie theater.

"You alright?"

"Mmmhmm….just thinking."

"About?"

She shrugged as they walked inside and ordered their tickets. Peeta pulled her into the line for popcorn and watched as she stood there, chewing her bottom lip. "The book. It was…interesting."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. But I still think we should wait until we know more before…"

"I agree. It's alright, I was just being stupid. And curious," he shrugged, squeezing her hand. Katniss gave him a weak smile as they stood in line, leaning against his shoulder. "We don't need to do any of that. I didn't mean it-"

"No, Peeta, it's just that…I really wish we could right now. I just want to wait until we have everything figured out and…and I know for sure that I'm not. I'm not mad you were looking at it. I…think about that all the time. I…I miss you. Like that. A lot."

Peeta gulped as Katniss stared at him, her eyes giving him a firm, hard stare. He knew what she meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember having a pregnancy scare in college and my boyfriend at the time freaked out. We didn't touch each other for weeks! lol. I guess we thought we might make it worse?!
> 
> Part II of their date coming tomorrow! yay! I've had some champagne (it's 11pm here), so an errors are mine as I was giddy to put this New Year's Eve treat up for you all.
> 
> Love hearing your comments, so please review! Naughtiness coming up!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: September 24th (Part II)

(Peeta's POV)

He shifted as they stood in the popcorn line, trying to calm himself down after Katniss' confession that she missed him like that. As in she missed sex as much as he did. Maybe more.

Good. At least I'm not the only horny one, he thought. He paid for the food and they quickly picked out a seat near the back of the theater. Katniss had picked out an action movie he was sure he would enjoy another time, but tonight he could only seem to think of her. And her legs in that dress. And the way the front dipped down far enough to see just the slightest bit of cleavage. What bra does she have on? Maybe that black one that opens in the front…He shifted again as they sat down, trying to hide his arousal.

"I didn't mean to…start anything back there," she said slowly, glancing over at him. "You okay?"

Her eyes dropped to his crotch, eying the small but promising bulge that had started to grow. He nodded and swallowed roughly as he shifted in the seat to hide it. "You don't realize the effect you can have."

Katniss gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

The tone in her voice told him she wasn't that sorry for giving him a stiffie in the popcorn line. Peeta shrugged and looked around to make sure no one was near.

"Don't worry about it. And don't be sorry for being sexy. Popcorn?" he asked as the previews started.

She grinned and accepted the bucket with a happy smile. "You know I really liked that margarita. I feel kinda…giggly," she admitted with a quite whisper.

"Yeah?"

She nodded and laughed as she shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Peeta leaned forward as the lights went down, pressing his mouth to hers. He let it linger there for a moment, pausing to run his tongue along her lower lip and groan. She tasted like buttery popcorn. He pulled away and flashed her a smile in the darkness before flipping the armrest between them up and sliding closer. Katniss leaned against his shoulder as the previews played, letting him rest his hand on her knee. He swore he felt goose bumps rise up on her skin where his hand was but he knew if he looked he would be a goner.

Shit, he thought, glancing down anyway. Her lean, tan legs were crossed in a ladylike fashion, her foot dangling close to his leg. His hand was on top of her knee, his thumb making circles on her kneecap. The skin was smooth – baby smooth. She probably shaved in the shower. I wonder what else she shaved?

Peeta shifted in his seat and tried to focus on something other than sex or Katniss as the movie started. It was decent enough; actors he liked, a decent plot, and some action mixed in. He made it about an hour into the film before Katniss shifted, pulling her jean jacket off and putting it on her lap. Peeta looked discreetly down and sideways, spying the curve of her breasts as they disappeared into her cotton dress. The pattern was bright and floral and unlike a lot of things she wore, so he was naturally drawn to the girly, flirty nature of it. He felt a little pervy for checking his own girlfriend out, but he couldn't help it. He was still a man, after all.

Katniss caught his eye and gave him a smirk. "See something you like?"

Peeta coughed and turned his attention back to the movie. Katniss snickered and popped another handful of popcorn into her mouth. He tried his best to behave, eyes forward and hands to himself. The movie played on, pulling him in and slowly making him relax. He was soon lost in the plot and action, happy to have his beautiful girlfriend curled into his side.

He jumped when Katniss' hand landed on his thigh. He stared forward, feeling his face reddening under her watchful stare.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Watching you," she whispered back. She smiled softly, rubbing her hand suggestively on his thigh. Peeta shifted in his seat, making it creak loudly. He winced as he felt ever drop of blood in his body start to rush to his groin. He had been too busy with homework and fraternity stuff that week to really take care of himself the way he normally did, so he was a bit on edge. That mixed with their recent 'hands off' rule was really putting him on edge.

"Katniss….there's people in here."

"So?" she laughed. "Not in this row and no one is paying attention."

Peeta looked around. She was right – there were only about ten other people in the movie theater, and none of them seemed to be paying attention.

She leaned closer, letting her lips brush his earlobe. "Fool around with me," she said softly.

His eyes bulged and turned to look back at her. "We can't! I can't…."

He watched as the girl that had seemingly replaced his girlfriend that night slid down in her seat and uncrossed her legs. The fabric of her skirt had ridden up to her mid-thigh, exposing a dangerous amount of skin. The theater was dark, but he could see flashes when the screen in front of them was bright. Peeta looked away, too tempted to trust himself to behave. An excruciatingly slow five minutes passed before he glanced at her bare legs again.

She did have a valid point – no one was paying attention. Slowly, he reached over and placed his hand on her thigh. Katniss jumped, but only a little. Goose bumps rose up on her delicate skin as he rubbed circles over her thigh, slowly inching towards the middle. His stomach lurched when someone in front of them coughed. Katniss snickered quietly as his hand jerked away quickly and he pretended to look innocent. It took him another ten minutes before he could work up the courage to put his hand back on her thigh and inch it up her leg.

He was beginning to doubt his actions when she slumped down in her seat and spread her legs a little more, placing her jean jacket over his hand. It was obvious but gave him the cover he needed to proceed. Closer and closer he got, sliding his hand up while watching the people around them. No one was even close, but he thought he would die of embarrassment if they were caught fooling around in a movie theater. Katniss sighed softly as his hand finally brushed her center.

Peeta gulped to himself as he fought to keep his head forward and not draw attention to them. The heat radiating from behind her cotton underwear was maddening. He wanted to sink three fingers into her awaiting heat and do what he couldn't safely do with other parts of his body at the moment. He froze, waiting for her to give a form of silent consent that this was alright on continue. Katniss sat up, pushing his hand away. His stomach dropped to the floor until he realized she was slowly and discreetly slipping off her underwear.

Holy shit.

He swallowed roughly and watched as the white cotton underwear slid down her leg and into her hand. She shoved it into the pocket of the coat on her lap and pulled her skirt down a little in the back before glancing over at him.

"Make it worth it," she whispered roughly.

Peeta stared forward, saying a silent prayer that they didn't get caught. This was too hot for them to get caught.

Slowly, he let his pinky finger brush against her center. She was wet. Did the idea of possibly getting caught turn her on? He knew it had appealed to them both at camp a few times, but this was different. This could really be dangerous. He gulped again and continued, flipping his hand upside down to run his two first fingers against her folds. Katniss let out a loud gasp that thankfully coincided with an action scene in the movie. His head moved to the side to see her bite down on her lip – hard.

He smirked to himself and shook his head at her, slowly and carefully sliding two fingers into her. Katniss gulped and slid lower in her seat, struggling to keep the jacket on her lap. Peeta pulled his fingers out of her, raising them up to flick her clit. He watched a she bit her lip again and held in a groan. He pinched her lightly, rolling her nub between his fingers before dipping them inside of her again. Katniss' eyes closed as she sucked in a deep breath of enjoyment.

"Peeta…I…"

"Shhh…" he whispered¸ leaning over to slowly kiss her. He dragged his mouth over to her ear, lightly biting the soft lobe in front of his mouth as he added this thumb to the mix. She began to buck slowly against his hand, her mouth falling open in a silent moan. He checked to make sure no one was paying attention before adding a third finger. Her eyes flew open and her hand gripped his forearm as he rubbed her center. The angle his hand was at wasn't a comfortable one and he was quickly getting an awful cramp, but he figured it was worth it. This was an experience he wouldn't soon forget.

Slowly and surely, he felt her muscles begin to contract and undulate against his fingers. Katniss leaned over and bit his arm as she silenced herself. Peeta clenched his teeth and continued, praying no one was paying attention to what they were doing. Glancing up, he knew this was his chance. Everyone was engrossed in the final action sequence taking place loudly on the screen. He bit his lip and plunged into her with his fingers, doubling his efforts. Katniss' body clenched around him as she slid down even further in her seat. She was clearly a goner. She came against his hand with a final sigh, letting her body go slack.

"That was…oh my God," she panted slowly. "You're amazing," she whispered, sitting up in her seat. She pulled her dress down again and arranged her jacket on her lap. "I can't believe we just did that."

"Me either."

The movie ended soon after that, but neither one of them was ready to move yet. Katniss' breathing was just returning to normal when the lights finally came back on.

"You," she said finally, turning to face him. "Come to my room tonight. It's payback time, Mellark."

After the movie, Peeta waited patiently outside the restroom for his girlfriend to return. She walked slowly out of the door, her cheeks a little pink.

"Um…you alright?"

"I had to put my underwear back on," she hissed. "I feel….wrong."

Peeta laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the car. Prim hadn't called yet, so he assumed they must be having a pretty decent time at the dance. They drove in silence back to the hotel where it was being held, singing along to the radio with his windows down. Once he parked he left the key in the ignition, letting the soft tones of an acoustic sounding band to waft through the radio.

Katniss slumped down in the passenger seat and stared out the window. Noticing her sudden change, he reached over and took her hand to squeeze it firmly in his own. "Are you upset by what I did in the movie theater?"

"What? Oh, no. Not at all," she laughed. "I was just…thinking about our situation."

"Oh," he said softly, looking down at their intertwined hands. Katniss sighed softly

"What if I am? I just realized I had a margarita at dinner. A big margarita with dinner. Some mother I would be. I wasn't even thinking about….about that. It didn't even cross my mind. I let myself go for an hour and I already fucked it up. "

"I didn't think about that either," he admitted. "Katniss, don't blame yourself for that. It was an honest mistake; you didn't do it intentionally."

Katniss turned her gaze to him and frowned. "We're not ready to be parents, Peeta. We're just not."

He gulped. "I know that. You made a mistake that I'm sure a lot of women have before…before they were sure," he rationalized. She was right – neither of them thought that way about their situation yet. It wasn't real.

"I wasn't even sure if I wanted kids," she admitted. "I'm horrible with them."

Peeta shook his head. "You can't hate yourself for that. Shit, I was the one that suggested it in the first place Katniss. You can't beat yourself up over something we don't even know to be true."

She shook her head and turned forward. "What if I am?"

"What if you're not?"

"I'm taking at test this week. I don't even care if it's too early, I just…I'm taking one."

He nodded. "I agree. I mean…I think that would be a good thing to do. Before I drop you off tomorrow, do you want to go buy a couple and…and I'll stay with you while you take them?"

She looked over at him with a surprised gaze. "You'd do that?"

A lump formed in his throat as he held her hand tightly I his own. "I'd do anything for you Katniss, don't you get that?"

She answered with a smile.

Several minutes later, Prim came out of the hotel hand in hand with Rory. They were both smiling shyly as he quietly opened the back door of Peeta's car for her to climb in. Katniss whirled around with a grin.

"Well how was it?"

Peeta watched in his rearview mirror as Prim looked at Rory and they shared a secret little smile. "Really good," she answered happily.

"Was everyone nice?" Katniss questioned.

Prim shrugged. "Some girl was jealous of my dress and said something, but Mrs. Mitchell was there to tell her to behave. She had to shut up or she would get sent home."

"You'll have to thank your teacher later," Katniss said firmly. "But other than that it went alright?"

"Yeah! We took some great pictures and danced and it was really fun."

Katniss turned around in the passenger seat and didn't waste any time linking her hand back with Peeta's. At that moment, he knew that every moment of that weekend had been worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh snap! Movie theater mischief...who has been there?!
> 
> A lot of you pointed out that she shouldn't have had a margarita with dinner and *hides* I added that because that was really something that happened to me in real life back in college. Don't worry, I wasn't pregnant. But I had a drink in the middle of a scare and their realization just came crashing down on me and it was a very heavy situation for me to deal with so...throwback to my college days. As most of this story is ; )
> 
> Up Next: Mrs. Everdeen, some preggo-my-eggo-tests, and going back to school. Please review! : )
> 
> ***PLEASE READ***
> 
> Cruel Summer is being translated into Spanish by MarEverdeen. She did ask my permission and I'm great with it, so please look her up if you'd like to try reading the translated version! : ) ***


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: September 25th

(Katniss POV)

She felt a hand on her shoulder gently shaking her.

"Katniss. Katniss…wake up."

Peeta stirred beneath her where they were curled together on the sofa in her mother's living room. They had been watching a movie when they both drifted off…

"What?" she groaned, lifting her head up. Her mother stared down at her, an amused look on her face.

"It's time to wake up."

Katniss watched as her mom's eyes flicked up above Katniss' head where Peeta was still sprawled on the couch beneath her. She sat up, untangling herself from Peeta's grasp as her mother walked away. A slight jolt of panic washed through her as she waited to see what her mother would have to say about Peeta sleeping with her on the couch.

"Prim will be awake soon," she said softly from the doorway of the kitchen. She nodded in Peeta's direction. Katniss shook her head in understanding and stood up from her spot on the couch. She hadn't meant to fall asleep on Peeta's chest as they were watching movies, but she couldn't help it. The stress of getting Prim ready and worrying about what they would do had taken its toll on her. They had fallen asleep together on the couch in the living room, fully clothed but still together. Her mom wasn't too strict with her, but then again she had never had a boyfriend in the house either.

"Sorry," she said groggily, sitting up further. "What time is it?"

"Just after eight. I just got home," she explained, gesturing to her scrubs. Her mother worked third shift as a hospital nurse and had been either at work or sleeping the entire weekend. Katniss rubbed her eyes and slipped away from the couch, following her mother into the kitchen. The brewing coffee was already filling the small house with a delicious aroma as Mrs. Everdeen walked around, picking up a plate here or a piece of paper there.

"House is a mess," she said softly, rubbing her tired looking eyes. "Did Prim have a good time?"

"She said she did. She and Rory watched movies in the basement til one and then I sent him home," Katniss said softly, grabbing her favorite coffee mug out of the cabinet.

"You weren't chaperoning them?"

Katniss gave her mother a look. "It's Prim. I made her swear not to have sex until she's twenty."

"That might not even be enough," Mrs. Everdeen said softly, accepting the mug her daughter handed her. "Oh well. I've given her the talk. I've done all I can do."

"She's smart," Katniss said quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up. Smarter than her older sister.

"Did she say whether or not that group of girls was there? They've been giving her trouble again."

"Yeah, I'm sure they were there. She said one girl said something but her teacher was there and told her to shut up or go home."

Her mother shook her head as she sipped her coffee. "These girls can just be so cruel. It wasn't like that when I was in school. Girls said mean, snide things sometimes but there was always a line. There isn't a line these days and it makes me so angry."

"I know. I feel the same way," Katniss admitted.

"I have half a mind to call the school! I want to have a meeting with some of these girls' parents and-"

"-I don't…think that would help mom. Unfortunately I kinda get the feeling these girls would only be fueled by something like that. I mean…like you said…there isn't a line anymore."

Her mother's shoulders slumped. "Just…keep talking to her, okay? She loves when you call. She tells you things she doesn't tell me. I want to be sure I don't ignore this."

"I will," Katniss promised. "But don't go to school or do anything drastic just yet, okay? I think at this point that would just humiliate her and make things worse."

Peeta shuffled into the kitchen, still dressed into his clothes from the day before. "Good morning," he croaked. When he spotted her mother in the corner of the kitchen opening the newspaper his eyes widened. "Hi."

"Hello," she said, giving him an amused smile. "Sleep well?"

Katniss watched as Peeta's 'prince charming' switch went off. He instantly stood up straight and flashed her mother a bright, pleasant smile. "I did. We accidently fell asleep I guess. Mrs. Everdeen, I'm Peeta," he replied, holding out his hand. Her mother took it, sneaking her daughter another amused look.

"I suppose it happens."

Peeta laughed, running his hand over the cowlick in the back of his hair. "Yeah, we were tired. I…uh…slept on the couch Friday night, just so you know."

"I know," she laughed. "I saw you when I came home from work. I'm afraid working third shift doesn't allow you to be very social.

"Right, well….I didn't want you to think we were doing anything irresponsible in front of Prim."

Katniss snorted and rolled her eyes at Peeta's words. Sometimes he laid it on a bit too thick.

"I understand, Peeta. Have you kids had a good weekend?"

Katniss handed Peeta a cup of coffee and grinned. "Yeah. We found a dress for her Friday night and I helped her curl her hair for the dance yesterday. She looked gorgeous mom you should have seen it."

"Did you get any pictures?" she asked hopefully. "I'm sorry I wasn't home," she added ruefully.

Katniss nodded as she grabbed the creamer out of the refrigerator and placed it in front of Peeta. While she liked her coffee black, he enjoyed his with plenty of add ins. "We did. She let us get a few before Peeta drove us over there."

Her mother shifted and sipped her coffee. "Prim wanted to go so bad, but….we didn't have a lot of extra money for a dress and I think that put her in a bad mood. She's been in a funk all week…or maybe just when I see her."

Peeta smiled from the counter and gave her mom another mega-watt smile. "We cheered her up. They had a really good time at the dance and….Rory's a great kid. I hung out with him a lot at camp."

Mrs. Everdeen smiled tiredly. "I'm glad. Our families have been friends for a long, long time. Hazelle's husband and mine were very good friends."

Katniss refilled her coffee mug, tiredly sipping the black liquid as Peeta boldly sat down at the small breakfast table across form her mother. She watched as he began to work his charm that he seemed to have on anyone that crossed his path.

"Thank you for letting me stay the weekend."

"It's no problem. Katniss said you were going to spend it together anyway. It was nice of you to come and help her at the last minute. Not many boyfriends would want to skip a weekend together to help their girlfriend's little sister get ready for a dance."

Katniss watched as Peeta shrugged. "It's alright; I got to know Prim really well over the summer so…it was nice to be able to help her out a bit. She was really great in all of my baking workshops, by the way."

Mrs. Everdeen nodded. "I'm glad she got to go to camp, that was a really great opportunity for her. She already told me she wants to go back next summer!"

"No brainer," Peeta laughed.

"So Peeta, what are you studying at school?" her mother asked.

Here we go, Katniss thought.

"Business. My family owns a bakery about an hour away and it's been in the family for years so…"

"Is that what you want to do?"

He shrugged. "I like it. I like to bake, I know that much. My dad wanted me to go to school to learn the business side of it. Which I guess would come in handy if I ever wanted to expand or do anything like that."

"School is very important, your father and I agree on that much. Katniss has quite a bit of school ahead of her. Nursing students require a lot of studying. It's hard to date a nursing student sometimes because they can be so wrapped up in school and homework."

"Mom," Katniss interjected. "Peeta isn't distracting me. I make sure I have all my homework done before I go see him. Can we not?"

Her mother gave her a knowing smile. "I know, I know. Just making sure you two know what you're up against. I was dating your father for my last year of nursing school and…well, sometimes it was rather challenging."

"I can imagine," Peeta nodded. "Business doesn't take up as much time as Nursing, I'll give you that. But we are really careful about studying and getting homework done."

"It's a very tough career choice," her mom admitted.

"It looks like really tough work but also really rewarding. I'm not saving lives, I'm just….making cupcakes," he laughed awkwardly. "Speaking of baking…you think Prim would enjoy pancakes?"

"I know I would," Katniss said, giving her mother a sneaky glare. She stood up and began gathering the ingredients Peeta would need, dropping a bag of chocolate chips on the counter as a hint. Peeta smirked at her and gave her a little nod, signaling he knew what that meant.

"I just want you to stay focused, Katniss. It's nothing personal Peeta," her mother continued.

"Mom," she whined again. "I have no problem getting my work done and doing it well, I might add. Give Peeta a break! My grades are my responsibility," she snapped.

She couldn't believe her mother had the gall to hint she wasn't getting enough studying done. She had pulled an A in every nursing course she had taken so far, and had all A's and B's in her general classes. Her mother had no room to lecture either one of them. Anytime she had needed help with her homework her mother was either at work or asleep. Katniss had been making ends meet on her own for years now. She tried her best to not look irritated as Prim shuffled into the kitchen.

"Good morning," she chirped, tying her blonde, still curled hair up into a messy bun. She hugged Katniss before shuffling over to see what Peeta was up to. She leaned against Peeta's shoulder as he began mixing together the ingredients. "Whatcha makin'?"

"Pancakes," Peeta grinned. "Maybe a few chocolate chip."

Prim made a funny squeaking noise of joy and hung on Peeta's arm as Katniss rolled her eyes. Her sister was just like Peeta; she could charm anyone she came in contact with.

Except those nasty girls at school.

"Prim, you said your teacher knew that girl said something mean to you last night?" she asked suddenly.

Prim nodded, abandoning Peeta to let him bake. She heaved a sigh as she pulled out the orange juice. "Yeah, they took care of it. It wasn't that big of a deal," she added softly. "I had a really good time and so did Rory."

Katniss reached over, ruffling her hair as her sister drank her juice. Prim seemed happy and unbothered by it, so she decided not to bring it up again. The last thing she wanted to do was let her concern for the bullies at school to override Prim's fleeting moment of happiness. The kitchen was soon filled with the aroma of homemade pancakes and Prim's voice as she told stories from the night before. When Peeta finished the pancakes, they sat down together at the breakfast table and began devouring them. She was mid-chew when she felt a hand on her thigh. Peeta looked over at her and gave her a soft smile.

'Thank you,' she mouthed.

'You're welcome,' he mouthed back.

"Clear Blue? No...erm…First Response? That sounds…uh, reliable. EPT? What does that even stand for?"

Katniss shrugged as Peeta read off the names of the pregnancy tests for her. They were standing in the same isle they had been in for fifteen minutes trying to decide which test to buy. Neither of them had a clue. After leaving her house, Peeta had driven her to the closest drug store and they were now attempting to buy a pregnancy test. It had been two weeks to the day since their accident and she didn't think she could wait any longer for an answer. Her period was still a few days off, but she needed to take a test for her own sanity.

"Let's just…here, I'll get two," she said finally, grabbing two different brands. She stopped at the coolers to grab herself a soda, but Peeta stopped her.

"Do yourself a favor and don't do caffeine," he begged. "It makes you jumpy."

"I guess you're right," she admitted sheepishly. Instead, he grabbed her a small carton of chocolate milk and two bottles of water. "You'll need these to pee."

"That won't be a problem. I pee when I'm nervous and trust me; I'm a nervous wreck right now."

"Need anything else?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Not that I can think of."

"Let's go pay then."

They headed up to the register to wait in line. Katniss grew more and more anxious as they stood there and waited. How dumb did she look buying two pregnancy tests and a carton of chocolate milk? When it was their turn to pay, she found herself nearly biting through her bottom lip. She wondered if clerks at pharmacies ever giggled internally at the purchases people had to make there as she put her items up on the counter. Peeta pushed her hand aside as the clerk rung them up.

"I got this," he whispered. The clerk told them the total and her eyes bulged a little. It was over thirty dollars! She hoped they were at least paying for clear, correct results.

Holy shit, those are expensive, she thought as Peeta took the bag. They walked outside and quickly hurried back to her dorm. She snuck him inside as she had the last time, holding her breath until he was safely behind her door.

"Let's just…get this over with," she said quickly, dropping the tests on her desk. She paused a moment, her stomach rumbling threateningly. She suddenly felt like she could vomit at any second. Isn't that a symptom? Wait, that's in the morning…oh God.

Peeta sensing her nervousness pulled her tightly against his chest. His arms cocooned her around her, his baggy sweatshirt enveloping her into a warm, comforting embrace.

"Peeta…I…I c-can't do this," she said nervously.

"We're going to be okay. Alright babe? We're gonna be just fine."

Katniss sighed against his chest, swiping angrily at the tears that had slid down her cheeks while silently vowing to never put herself into this position again. Peeta's hand stroked the top of her head and they stayed locked in their embrace. Finally, she lifted her head and grabbed the bag off the desk. "I have to do this. I have to."

"Katniss...just relax and think positive thoughts."

"I can't think anything until I go take these," she admitted to him. Peeta stared at her with pleading eyes.

"It will be okay," he repeated.

She gulped and clutched the bag in her hands. "Well, I'm off to pee on these things."

"Just read the directions really carefully. I'll be here when you get back," he said, pulling her back to him. His lips brushed hers in a reassuring kiss. She paused to lean her forehead against his for what might be her last moment of peace. When he let her go, she hurried down the hall to the bathroom and locked herself in the handicapped stall. Her hands shook as she tore open the boxes, carefully reading the directions for both tests. She was expecting to have to jump through some sort of hoops to get it right, but the two she had selected were pretty much the same. She simply had to pee on them and wait five minutes for the results to appear. She hurriedly did as instructed, checking the directions a second time just to be sure she had done it right. Satisfied, she quickly discarded everything but the two sticks before hurrying back to her room.

"Set your watch for five minutes," she begged Peeta. Placing the tests on her desk, she opened the bottle of water from the pharmacy and took a long drink. Her mouth was suddenly drier than a desert. He did as he was told, setting his watch and scooting over to make room for her on the bed.

"Everything go alright?"

"Yeah. I….this might be too early, and I'm going to the gyno this week but I just have to know," she said quietly, sitting down next to him on the bed. Peeta nodded in understanding, reaching up to brush her hair away from her eyes.

"I'm not making you late getting back to school, am I?"

He shrugged. "It's Sunday night; Mark and Cassie are probably still screwing on my futon. I've got all my homework done, so I don't care if I'm not there," he said. "Besides…if I'm going to be tired on a Monday morning, this is a good reason. I'm staying until you don't need me."

She gave him a tiny smile as she leaned on his shoulder. "I always need you though. Even though you're only forty five minutes away…just…sometimes it feels a lot further."

"I agree. But we're doing pretty well, right? I mean…we miss each other but we always manage. Having weekends to look forward to is nice."

"I know."

He turned to face her on the bed, propping his leg up against hers. "When this is over and everything is back to normal, let's do something special; just the two of us."

Katniss felt her stomach do another nervous flop. "We don't know if things will go back to normal, Peeta. What if I am?"

"You're not."

"But what if?"

"You're not," he stated firmly. "Positive thinking."

She snorted. "Yeah, I guess I could certainly use some of that."

"Right. Well, when this is over we're going to do something special. Will you let me do that?"

Katniss nodded, taking another sip of her water. Peeta reached over and began rubbing circles on her back with his large, warm hands. The motion calmed her greatly as she sat on the edge of her bed feeling like she might puke. When his watch went off a minute later, they both jumped.

"Can you read it?" she asked hopefully, giving him a pleading look. "I don't think I can move."

Peeta stood and dutifully walked over to the dresser. She watched him swallow before picking up the two plastic tests. "Okay…we have a negative sign and then on this one…just one line. What do those mean?"

She exhaled sharply as relief flooded through her. "That means I am very happy," she sighed. "It means I'm not pregnant."

Peeta dropped the tests on her desk and hurried over to her. He wrapped her in a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. "I told you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?
> 
> I'll be curious to hear what you guys think of Mrs. Everdeen.
> 
> I realize Katniss is still a few days early on the pregnancy test thing, but she needed to do it for her sanity. She is going to go to the doctor for a more accurate test, which I would also recommend.
> 
> Anyway, tell me what you thought!
> 
> Remember to follow me on Twitter and Tumblr for updates and Q&A! Links on on my profile.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: September 30th

(Katniss POV)

Katniss winced as the doctor placed a Band-Aid over the spot where she had just drawn blood. Normally she hated needles and today wasn't any different.

"There," the doctor stated, "I should have the results in twenty four hours. Once we know the results we'll get your prescription called in. You're free to go."

Katniss gaped at her for a moment in surprise. "That's it?"

The older woman looked up over her glasses and smiled as she removed her gloves. "That's it. Someone from the front desk will call you and let you know the results and you can make your next appointment based on those. If they are positive we'll need to see you again right away, if not…then just once a year for a checkup."

As relieved as she felt, she still was not out of the woods just yet. Katniss knew that test could easily come back positive and shatter the thin veil of hope she felt. Even though the home pregnancy tests had been negative that might not be the case.

Katniss nodded as the doctor patted her on the shoulder of her paper gown and quietly exited the room. Minus the needle needed to take a blood sample, her first gyno visit hadn't been nearly what she thought it would be. Although it was a bit awkward to put her feet up into the stirrups and bare herself to the doctor, nothing hurt and it was over almost the second it began. Katniss had worried she would get a stern, judging doctor who would ask all sorts of embarrassing questions about her sexual history and things of that nature, so she was surprised to see a friendly older woman who smiled a lot and complimented her choice of toenail polish. All in all, she felt rather silly for not coming there sooner than she had.

In twenty four hours, I'll know for sure. She had pushed her fears aside and told the doctor everything – how she had a steady boyfriend, they used condoms, and one had ripped nearly three weeks ago. Even though the tests had been negative, she still wanted to go on birth control and make sure she wasn't really pregnant. The blood test she had taken had the ability to detect pregnancy twelve days after conception. She counted back in her head, figuring it should be able tell her a definitive answer.

"I can't do anything about it now," she muttered quietly.

Despite not knowing for certain yet she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She walked back to her dorm and checked her watch; Peeta was still in class. With a sigh, she dropped her backpack down on her desk and picked up the phone to call someone else.

"Well, did you bang him in front of the ex yet or what?" Johanna asked upon picking up the phone.

Katniss made a gagging noise into her clunky landline phone and tried not to laugh. "What?!"

"You heard me. I take it that's a no?"

"Um…no," Katniss answered.

"You're a much better woman than I am, Everdeen. I would have staked my claim already."

"You'd seriously have sex with Peeta while Cassie was in the room? Or….whoever?" she laughed. Her problems lately had been so intense that the blonde girl had barely crossed her mind. She seemed inconsequential compared to what Katniss was currently dealing with.

"No. I'd have sex with him and pretend that I thought they were asleep. Just one night while they're on the futon just go up in his bed and start doing the nasty."

"Sick, Jo. Even for you. I'm totally not going to sleep with Peeta in front of Cassie or anyone. Besides…I'm never there when Mark is there. Peeta always makes sure we have the room to ourselves. When her boyfriend's not there then…she has no excuse to be in there."

"Boyfriend, shmoy-friend," Johanna barked. "I'd find a way to accidently have sex with him in front of her. I'd make eye contact with her too, just as I was fucking him."

"Jo," Katniss groaned, somewhat annoyed. She had called her friend from camp for a serious talk.

"What? I'm not telling you what to do, but you told me that my last bit of advice to you gave the girl a mindfuck. Stake your claim."

Katniss choked on her own spit for a second, shaking her head. "Yeah, it uh…did give her a mind…fuck," she said awkwardly. "But I didn't call about Cassie."

"What then?"

"I um…I went to the gyno today. I'm on the pill now. Well, I will be." Once my test results come back, she thought.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of spontaneous freedom my friend! Nice of you to join the BC Club!"

"Birth Control Club?"

"No, 'Baby Control'," Johanna laughed. "Being on the pill will open up a whole new world for you."

"Well I won't be open for business for a month yet," Katniss said. "It takes a month to kick in."

"Right. But man…once you do…Thom and I never would have survived summer without the pill. Oh my god, this one time at camp we were fooling around in the woods and-"

"You can stop there," Katniss said quickly. "I don't need to know and I'd…like to eventually be able to look Thom in the eye again someday."

"Right. Well, but you'll at least get to enjoy some super spontaneous sex from now on."

"Speaking of that, um….can I tell you something if you swear to never tell another living soul?"

"I knew you had a reason for calling. You never call just to shoot the shit, do you Everdeen? Yeah, I swear I won't tell. What's eating you?"

"This is important Jo, I shouldn't even-"

"Just spit it out, Everdeen. If I'm ever going to help you out of this mess I'm gonna hafta know what the hell is wrong. Now talk, Brainless."

"Fine. Wait, how do you know I'm in a mess?"

"I just do. Now spill."

Katniss frowned, debating for a second whether or not she should even tell Johanna about their accident. But who else could she tell? "We um…a few weeks ago before the pill thing happened we…Peeta and I had a scare."

Jo let out a bored sigh on the other end of the line. "And?"

"And…I had to take the morning after pill. And went I went to the gyno today she drew blood."

"Perfect! You're in the clear."

"You don know that," Katniss snapped. "What if I am? What do I do Jo?"

"Everdeen….don't panic until you need to panic. I'm sure Bread boy didn't plant his seed on purpose and….well, you should know in what, a day if you are?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Johanna sighed into the phone. "I've maybe…had a scare or two. But I was really scared; my period was late like six days and I freaked out. Turns out I'd just stressed myself out so much by worrying that it was really nothing. So don't panic until you have to, alright?"

"I guess you're right. I'll know in a day for sure."

She didn't think she slept a wink that night.

It was a Friday night, so it didn't really matter if she slept or not – she didn't have anything to do all weekend besides sleep and study. Peeta had a big Finance exam on Tuesday that week, so they had opted to spend the weekend apart to get caught up on schoolwork. The last thing she needed to do was flunk a class because of this whole mess.

But she couldn't sleep at all. By the time her phone rang the next morning, her head hurt so badly from just thinking that she knew if she didn't get an answer soon she would explode. She had been over every possible scenario in her mind a thousand times by the time the campus doctor's office called.

"Katniss Everdeen?"

"This is she."

"We have your results for hCG test that Dr. Watkins had done yesterday while you were here. All results are normal and negative."

Katniss gulped, unsure if she had heard the woman correctly. "N-negative?"

"Negative. We'd like to see you back in a year's time, but if you have any other issues arise with your prescription please don't hesitate to call."

"T-t-thank you," she managed to squeak before dropping the phone out of her hands. She scrambled to hang it up as the plastic receiver made a loud clanging noise against her desk. It made her jump but she was too happy to care.

She wasn't pregnant.

Leaning back in her desk chair, she felt the tense feeling that had been monopolizing her limbs for the past two and a half weeks lift up and off of her. She could finally relax and focus and not have to worry. It was a lesson learned the hard way, but it was a lesson all the same. A breath of relief left her chest as she heard a soft 'ping!´ come from her laptop. Opening it up, she saw that she had a Skype Request from Peeta. She clicked on it and could hardly contain her smile as Peeta's tired looking face popped up on her screen.

"Negative," she said quickly, giving him a bright grin.

Peeta's still-sleepy eyes lit up as he realized what she was saying. "You're joking. No, you wouldn't joke about that. Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yes. Not pregnant."

"Holy shit…." He sighed happily. "I…knew it."

"I know but…wow! I'm sorry I look so…disheveled," she laughed, brushing her wild hair away from her face. The doctor's office had called first thing in the morning, and after a sleepless night she looked a fright. "They called me first thing. I just got off the phone with them and…oh my God I'm so relieved."

"You look gorgeous in the morning Katniss, stop it. I'd have given anything to be able to wake up next to you," he said sweetly.

"Ditto," she laughed.

Peeta grinned. "I just woke up too. My study group went til about two," he yawned. "I made friends with the smart kids in the class."

"Good for you."

"So we're good. What does this mean?"

"It means," she said slowly, tucking her hair behind her ears. "That I start the pill. I got a prescription and it only costs me ten dollars a month."

"I can pay for that," he said quickly. Her eyes flicked up to meet his in the computer screen. He was giving her a sleepy, sweet smile.

"No, I can pay for that," she insisted, eyeing him sternly. She didn't plan on Peeta's whipping out his credit card or money from his summer at Camp to pay for her birth control pills. It was a polite offer, but this was something she wanted to do for herself.

Peeta coughed and held up his hands. "Fine…whatever you want."

Katniss noticed the way his shoulders slumped a little. She had to remind herself that he wasn't offering to pay for it to be a jerk. Accept help. Say 'thank you'. He just wants to take care of you.

"I'm sorry, I just…I can pay for the pills. I appreciate the offer, I know you're….just being you. You can get me a phone. How's that? I pay for birth control and you can get me a phone."

His face lit up. "You're serious?"

"Yes," she laughed. "But I'm still not sending you dirty pictures."

Peeta pouted for a moment before perking up again. "No, but I can at least text you whenever I want."

"True. You'll have to help me though. I'm technology inept. Besides, I could use one anyway – I'm in college now. I'll tell my mom it's for safety."

"Deal. Well now that we know for sure do you feel better?"

She snorted. "I feel like I could do anything right now. I'm not pregnant. Holy shit. I think I'm a little slap happy right now…oooooh my gosh," she laughed, leaning forward on her knees. Peeta whistled as her loose tank top shifted and she exposed a bit of cleavage.

"Nice."

"Oh stop it Mellark!" She laughed, pulling up her top. She gave him a saucy look in the webcam as he grinned back at her.

"What? I can't appreciate your rack via Skype? I'm a man, Katniss," he playfully scoffed. "A man who got his lady off in a movie theater last weekend."

She felt her cheeks heat up as Peeta grinned at her in the monitor. He looked smug and very proud of himself. "Oh God I still can't believe we did that. We sooo could have gotten caught too."

"You liked it."

"I did…kinda," she admitted with a cheeky grin. "Anyway…what are you up to today?"

Peeta looked at his watch and groaned. "I'm due back at the library. These smart kids just want to do all this studying…"

"Go to the library," she laughed.

"I'll be back for a break around….eight tonight. Will you be around?"

"I should be. I might go down to the pharmacy and pick up this prescription, but that's all I have planned."

"Cool. Well I love you, I miss you, we're not pregnant…and you have a nice rack."

Katniss shook her head at him in mock disgust. "I'm still now showing it to you via Skype."

"Damn."

After closing the chat session Katniss lolled around, finishing the homework she had for the weekend while still in her pajamas. She called Prim to talk, but was actually pleased to find out her little sister was hiking all day with Rory. Her mother sounded tired, so Katniss told her to tell Prim to call her later before hanging up. She got dressed and grabbed her purse and a light jacket, heading out onto the quad towards the pharmacy. The prescription for the birth control pills had been called in so she could get it anytime. She didn't want to waste any time – the sooner she started them, the sooner she could have some peace of mind.

Katniss jammed her hands in her pockets as she walked, the sunny fall day making her feel even better than she already did. It was almost October and fall had settled onto campus, cloaking the green trees in a light dusting of oranges and yellows. It was still warm enough out to make a nice day for walking, yet there was a chill in the air that promised fall was about to bring colder weather with it. She walked into the pharmacy, got her pills and a few other necessities and walked quickly back to the dorm with an extra bounce in her step.

After weeks of misery, things were finally looking up.

She yanked the bag of Cheetos she had purchased open with a loud crack and followed it with her Dr. Pepper before collapsing onto her small couch with the packet of pills. The crunchy Cheetos seemed to be the perfect food to settle onto her couch with and do some reading, so she did just that. As she enjoyed her snacks, she read the directions cover to cover so that she wouldn't miss anything crucial. Even though she was sure they would still use condoms, the Johanna's words still rung in her head.

Spontaneous sex.

Or would they? She wondered what that was like. No condoms, no barriers, no anything. A shiver rolled down her spine as she thought about being like that with Peeta. The tingling between her legs told her it would be more than nice.

But not yet, she told herself. First she needed to take the pills for a month before she stopped using anything, and even then she wasn't sure if she ever would. Her first pregnancy scare had been quite enough; it wasn't something she was looking to repeat anytime soon.

"Well, now is as good a time as any," she told herself. Without another thought she popped the first little white pill out of the package and swallowed, already feeling better. She wanted things back to normal as soon as possible. Things hadn't been the same the past few weeks since their 'accident'. They hadn't been intimate since their scare and she missed him. Fooling around had been fun, but it was just that – fun. It wasn't anything like the physical relationship she and Peeta had formed back at Camp Panem that fateful night in the tent. It was like they had gone backwards since then, and she felt like a starved woman at times. But what could they do? She knew that their pregnancy scare had terrified both of them, but she still felt a deep, longing need when she thought of Peeta.

Tossing the pills onto the table beside her, she flopped over on the couch and pulled her fluffy blanket over her shoulders. The past few weeks had taken a toll on their relationship, but she hoped they would come out stronger. Peeta didn't seem to mind not having sex; perhaps he was as fearful at her. Even though they had fooled around in the movie theater there was still a silent agreement not to take it further than that.

Would that change the next time she saw him?

She hoped so. Peeta was coming to get her next Friday to take her back to his school again, and she wondered if they would resume the physical part of their love or not. Of course they could use condoms again – that had worked for months now. Still, a nagging little voice in the back of her mind frightened her.

She fell asleep on her couch, her body finally able to fully relax for the first time in weeks. The nap lasted her most of the day, but she awoke that evening feeling rested and finally happy. Glancing at the clock, she saw she had about an hour before Peeta would call so she decided to take a shower. She was still in her robe with wet hair when her phone rang.

"Hey you," she greeted, picking up the heavy phone. The line was long enough to stretch to her couch, so she flopped down on it while she talked.

"Hey," he greeted tiredly. "I've been studying all day and I just want to die. Can you die from studying too much? Can your brain swell with information and blow up?"

"Not that I know of."

"Shit."

"Well how's the wonderful world of Finance?"

"Terrible. I'm so sick of it and I have to go back at nine."

"Nine on a Saturday night?"

"Yeah. We still have four chapters to cover before this midterm. Come Tuesday afternoon I'm going to be ready to explode."

"Well get good grades so I don't have to feel guilty about taking up all of your spare time."

"That's the plan. Ulgh. I have enough time to talk to you and grab some Subway before I head back," he groaned. "What are you doing?"

"Umm…I just got out of the shower. Just sitting here on my couch. Nothing exciting."

"Are you naked? That would be exciting," Peeta laughed.

"No."

"Oh."

"I'm in my robe."

He sucked in a breath and made her laugh into the phone. "That's still hot."

"It's my ratty old bathrobe. It's the antithesis of 'hot'."

"I disagree Miss Everdeen. You in a bathrobe is definitely hot. Is your hair wet?"

"Yes."

"Are you wet?" he asked softly, his voice low and gravelly.

She burst out laughing. "No, perv."

Peeta chuckled softly. "Sorry. I miss you. I bet you smell amazing like you always do after a shower. What's that shampoo you use? Mango?"

"Apricot," she said, running her fingers through her wet hair. She sniffed it and laughed. "It does smell good, I'll give myself that much."

"Right, see? Argh…I miss you," he whined. "I bet you look really sexy sitting there in your bathrobe. Do you remember that shower we took at camp?"

"How could I forget…"

"I'd love to do that again next summer. Just sneak back there and-"

"-Wait, where are you?"

"I'm in my room. Mark is at practice and I'm in my room alone, just sprawled on my bed."

"Sounds nice. I didn't want him to come barging in and ruin the moment. I'm getting quite the mental picture here. Continue," she laughed.

"You want me to? Alright…um….well we could just sneak back to that outdoor shower some night…make sure no one saw us. We could slip in there, pull the curtain tight. Remember last time? I could barely even see you there was so much steam. God that was hot."

"Yeah it was," she said, remembering the way Peeta had pushed her up against the sides of the shower and rubbed her til her knees gave out.

"We hadn't had sex yet, remember?"

"Yeah. We were waiting for the do-over."

"Right…" he chuckled. "We just fooled around but it was still hot as hell. This time though...we'd do it a little differently."

"You've planned this out then?"

"Oh yeah. I can still picture you up against the wall with your leg around my waist. Steam everywhere…Fuck," he hissed. "I think about that all the time, Katniss."

"You do?" she asked.

"Yeah. Sometimes when I'm alone and I miss you I….I think about that night. And the night on the soccer field."

"The night I wore a skirt," she added, remembering the night. The way the grass felt on her bare legs, the way the stars looked as she stared up at them, and the way Peeta's mouth had felt on her for the first time. She didn't get herself off very often, but she had to admit that she had conjured up the memory more than once since then.

"Yup. And the night you pushed me up against the archery target and sucked me off."

Katniss rubbed her thighs together and chewed her lip. Peeta's soft, raspy voice was starting to have an effect on her body that she couldn't control. "You've thought about this a lot."

"Like every night," he admitted. "You're all I think about when I….well….you know."

She sat up slightly in surprise. "You…you think about me when you…do that?"

He paused a moment, laughing awkwardly. "Well…yeah. All the time. Is that…bad?"

"No, I just…." She trailed off, sitting back on her couch. The tingling between her legs had become a full on ache. She missed him so badly that there wasn't a doubt in her mind she would jump him if he was there.

But he wasn't.

He was miles away and he had a test to study for.

"I miss you," she said finally. "I…."

"I know how you feel. I…I didn't mean to upset you by saying that. I didn't, did I?"

"That you touch yourself and think of me? No…I….Peeta, it kinda did the opposite."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh SNAP. Yes, they're going to do what you think they're going to do in the next chapter ; ) Long distance relationship...come on, you know I had to!
> 
> What did you think of her results? Pardon any flaws when it comes to the medical stuff, I work in HR and am NOT a nurse or doctor by any means lol.
> 
> Love to hear your thoughts!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: September 30th (Part II)

(Peeta's POV)

"I miss you."

Peeta gulped at Katniss' words, trying his best to remain calm but all he could picture was the night in the shower back at camp. He thought of that experience often; he wasn't lying. The image of his girlfriend's body pressed up against the wall of the outdoor shower was practically burned into his brain. One of the downsides of a long distance relationship was the fact that Katniss was miles away most of the time and he couldn't see her whenever he wanted. Even though she wasn't even an hour away he still had to stay focused on school and homework. Sometimes the distance was a lot to handle. He was without her more than he was with her, so he had been forced to take matters into his own hands more than once.

Literally.

And when that happened, he had a slew of mental images he used to fuel himself. They were all of Katniss; going down on Katniss, her mouth around his cock, his fingers in her hip as she rode him, her hair against his pillow….just the thought of all the images in his spank bank made him twitch with sexual need.

"I know how you feel. I…I didn't mean to upset you by saying that. I didn't, did I?"

"That you touch yourself and think of me? No…I…Peeta, it kinda did the opposite."

He held the phone a little closer to his ear. Blood started rushing to his groin, making him sit up in his bed.

"Define 'opposite'."

"I mean…" she paused on the other end of the line making his heart beat a little faster. He was worried for a second that he had completely grossed her out by confessing that he had beaten off to the memories of their time together. But wasn't that better than thinking of someone else? He reasoned that thinking of her and had to be a more flattering option.

"Yeah?"

"I mean that it's…nice that you think of me…when I'm obviously not present," she laughed awkwardly. "Do you seriously? You think about that when you…"

"Get off?" he offered meekly.

"Yeah."

"I…do. I think of it."

He heard rustling on the other end of the line. "Sorry. Had to get more comfortable. Tell me how you think of me, Mr. Mellark."

Peeta laughed, happy to have his girl back. Things hadn't been the same between them since their scare, and rightfully so. They had both spent weeks panicky and so on edge they were ready to burst. That paired with the fact that they hadn't had sex in almost three weeks was a lot to handle.

"Uhh…okay. Well…you really want to know?"

"I really actually do," she laughed.

Peeta felt his cheeks get hot as he scratched his head and hopped down from his lofted bed. He locked his door, sliding the deadbolt into place. Mark was out, but he didn't have any idea how long he would be gone. At least the deadbolt being in place would give him a few seconds' warning before the door was to open. "Um…well some days when I'm really…frustrated I'll go take a hot shower and just…picture the night in the shower at Camp….erm, like I said."

Katniss sighed on the other end of the phone, making him grip his cell phone a little tighter. Was she enjoying this? Or was it weird? He was terrified that he was either grossing her out or severely weirding her out. Neither was ideal.

"What do you picture?" she asked quietly, her voice slightly breathy. Peeta felt a small smile work its way onto his face. That definitely wasn't a disgusted sounding voice. Was it possible that Katniss was possibly as into the idea of phone sex as he was?

"I picture…you. With your hair wet, like….kinda hanging down over your body. It's always kinda dark…there was just that old light that night and it was behind the shower curtain so I could only see so much. In my head you're standing in the steam that…just remembering that gets me hard."

He heard her gulp on the other end of the line. "Hard? Are…are you hard now?"

Peeta glanced down at the promising boner he was currently sporting in his track pants. It was half hard, but only because he was trying to control himself while on the phone with her.

"Um…a little, yeah. I'm thinking about my favorite thing, how could I not be?"

Katniss let out a raspy laugh. "Fair enough. I just wondered. Go on."

Peeta chewed his lip and lazily let his hand brush the front of his pants. He wanted so badly for it to be her hand, but this would have to do. If she didn't mind if he was getting excited over talking about this, then he wasn't going to deny himself. This was too hot.

"Well in my head I usually just push you up against the wall and barely have time to get your leg around my waist before I…." he paused, trying to gauge whether or not he should actually say what he was about to.

Katniss sighed. "You what?"

He coughed and shifted again to relieve some of the tension in his pants. "I put your leg around my waist and plunge into you."

Peeta listened as Katniss sucked in a breath. "Oh."

"Yeah. And it's always hot. You throw your head back and just moan against my ear. I love how raspy and throaty your voice is, especially when you're turned on. In my mind I….I pick you up and hold you against the wall of the shower and just let the water beat down on us…and wow," he sighed, unable to finish. His palm brushed against the front of his track pants again, practically itching with the need to grasp himself firmly. "Please say something," he chuckled.

"That's…really sexy," she admitted sheepishly. "Is it weird that I'm getting really turned on hearing you…say this stuff?"

"No," he said hopefully. "Will you maybe…tell me what you think about?"

Katniss sighed and Peeta heard her shift again. "I…well, it's different for girls. I don't…do that a whole lot."

"But you do it?"

"Well…I have, yeah. Really just since we started…you know, fooling around. I couldn't at camp for obvious reasons…but I might have when I was at home. And maybe once here," she admitted.

"Sounds like you don't miss me as much as I miss you," he chuckled. "Tell me what you think about."

"Oh lord, Peeta," she laughed, "I think about….that night on the soccer field, like I said. And the last night at camp."

She seemed hesitant to elaborate, yet he was desperate to hear her say the words. "What about the last night at camp?"

Katniss snorted on the other end of the line. "I mean…you didn't have any undies on. Commando, is it? You were commando."

Peeta smiled at the memory. "That turns you on? Thinking of me with no underwear?"

"Well…why?" she asked, sounding suddenly panicky. "Is that bad?"

"No, babe. I think that's hot too. I picture you without out underwear all the time. Especially if you wore that jean skirt again."

"My ass would be hanging out."

"But it would be sexy as hell," he argued. "I don't expect you to actually do it, but…it'd be hot."

"Fine," she laughed.

"Would you go without sometime? Maybe in jeans or something? I'd love to just…peel your pants off and find that you don't have anything on underneath."

"Rrealy? Well…okay. I think of you commando sometimes. And the way you just told me how beautiful I was turned on. You gave me some speech about how pretty women are compared to men and I just remember feeling…really sexy in my own skin for one of the first times in my life. That's a big deal for a girl," she said softly.

"I'm glad I could help," he said. "You're always sexy to me."

"Even when I first wake up?"

He laughed. "Especially when you first wake up," he sighed. "Damn, this um…this is making me really excited."

"Really?"

"Really. I wish you were here."

"Me too. Especially after today."

"I know. But just thinking about you like this makes me really miss you."

Katniss laughed softly. "Are you still hard?"

Peeta glanced down at his lap. "Do you want me to be?" he asked, his fingertips dancing on the elastic of his track pants.

"Peeta!" she giggled. "What…oh my God."

"No, just…will you relax? We're alone. It's just us, what's the big deal?"

"I don't know….are you sure Mark won't come back?"

"I've got the door locked, it's just us. He won't come in and even if he did what are you so worried about? He's see me with my hand down my pants, not you!" he laughed. If Mark walks in that door before I can finish what I've hopefully started I'll kill him, he mentally added.

"It's just weird to think about you…touching yourself on the phone with me. Isn't that…phone sex?"

Peeta shrugged. "It is whatever you want it to be. Katniss, I…it's just us, talking on the phone about some of the best times in our relationship. The memories we've made together are so hot and special and freaking sexy that yeah, it turns me on. Doesn't it turn you on?"

"Well…yeah."

"There's nothing wrong with it. We're not doing anything anyone else in our position hasn't done before. I miss you. Remember when you told me you missed me like that too? At the movies."

"I do."

"I miss you like that too. I can't see you this weekend; I just….just thinking about you is making me crazy."

"Really?" she asked. "It's making me….crazy too," she said slowly. "Although I'm not sure if that's the right word."

"I think the word you're searching for is 'horny'," he laughed. "And that's the perfect word."

"Fine, horny."

Peeta leaned back against the back of his futon and pictured Katniss on her couch, wrapped in a robe. He imagined the white material falling to the side, revealing her smooth, olive skin. The last time he saw her naked she still had tan lines from Camp Panem. It secretly excited him the way her breasts and ass were slightly paler than the other parts of her body; it reminded him that he got to see parts of her that no one else did. It was just for him.

He closed his eyes and gripped his phone as he pictured the way the material would look against her skin. Soft and white, pooling at her sides as she lay on the little couch in her room. He could see her slender hand as it slid down her stomach, disappearing into the apex between her thighs. The image in his mind of a half-naked Katniss touching herself drove him even further off the cliff.

"Are you still wearing that robe?"

"Yes," she giggled. "And it's still as ratty as ever."

"It gets to touch your naked body and that makes me jealous as hell," he admitted, sticking his hand a little further down his pants.

"I wish it was you," she breathed softly.

"So pretend it is. Pretend it's me. Touch yourself and…tell yourself it's me."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Are you there?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding a bit breathless. The sound of it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"So what are you doing?"

"I…I'm…"

Peeta smiled. He didn't have any experience with this either; he had imagined the experience several times, but he had yet to actually ever have phone sex. Determination rushed through him as he fought to keep the mood but help her along.

"It's just us. I know the words are hard to say but just…picture it. If I was there, what would you want me to do?"

Katniss laughed nervously. "Are we doing this?"

"Do you want to? Do you miss me enough?"

"Yes," she snorted. "It's not funny," she added as he chuckled with her. His palm itched as he slid his hand lower into his track pants.

"It's a little funny. Just…concentrate," he said seriously. "I'm hard just picturing you in a robe, naked underneath. I'm so turned on just picturing that, babe. It's okay to feel like that."

"Okay, well…if you were here I'd want you to…sit next to me and just…kiss me."

"Where?"

"My mouth…and then…my neck."

Peeta's hand finally slid low enough to grip his cock in his palm. It was hard as a rock and practically throbbing at that point, and it was a relief just to simply touch it. He squeezed it lightly as his eyes slowly closed. "Yeah? What do you like about me doing that?"

She exhaled softly on the other end of the line. "I love the way your lips feel against my skin…sometimes your stubble…it gives me goose bumps. And when you suck on my earlobe I just…I get this…"

"This what?"

He could hear her suck in a deep breath. "I just get this jolt of…something. It shoots through me and just radiates…"

"Where?"

"Everywhere, but mainly….between my legs," she added softly.

Peeta groaned as he let his palm stroke himself once. The movement was hard and forced but sent a jolt much like the one she was talking about through his body.

"Won't you be late for your study group?"

"Fuck the study group. Tell me more about what's going on between your legs," he groaned again. "Give me a status update."

Katniss laughed quietly. "Fine. When you kiss down my neck and do that it makes me…wet," she added in a tiny voice.

Peeta opened his eyes. "Seriously? Are you wet right now?"

"Peeta…"

"Please?"

He heard her sigh on the other end of the line. "Tell me what you're doing."

"I'm…leaning back against the arm of my couch."

"Push your robe open."

"Okay," she agreed, snickering softly. "I'm pushing it open and I'm…oh God this is weird…um…sliding my hand down. Peeta…Peeta I feel stupid."

"No, don't," he pleaded, sucking in a breath. His free hand gripped the phone to his ear as he tried to remain focused. "Can I tell you what I'm doing?"

"It might help."

"Just thinking about how wet you are has made me so hard I just couldn't control myself. Listening to you talk about your lips and neck and that night on the soccer field just made me want you so much right now Katniss. I want you so much," he admitted. "I had to touch myself when you started talking like that. You're just ….so fucking sexy," he stuttered.

"I am?"

"Yeah…I mean…I want to touch you right now. So bad."

"I want you to," she said finally. "I want you to."

"Then touch yourself and pretend it's me. Just do it…please."

"Fine, I will…I…I'm sliding my hand down and…." She sucked in a deep breath, her words falling away. Peeta's eyes opened slightly as he stroked himself roughly.

"You're wet, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she breathed into the phone. "I wish it was you, touching…teasing me. I wish I had your mouth on me. Fuck Peeta, I love it when you do that."

He smiled against his phone that was now growing hot with use against his ear. "You like it when I go down on you?"

"Yes, God yes. You're amazing at it. Your tongue is just….better than anything I've ever imagined."

"Touch yourself and think of my tongue. Use your finger and do what my tongue would do to make you feel good."

He listened intently as Katniss sighed into the phone. "I'm…I'm doing it."

"What are you doing?"

"Touching my …clit. Oh god, it feels good."

"Yeah? Keep touching it. Imagine my tongue on you…licking and sucking and making you feel good. Fuck Katniss. I'm so hard just even picturing you."

"I'm really turned on Peeta…I…..you swear this is okay?"

"Yeah baby, it's fine. We're good, we're so good. I love tasting you and teasing you. Sometimes when I go down on you I almost get off from it. I have a hard time controlling myself long enough to finish you because that's how good you taste," he growled, gripping himself harder.

"Seriously? That's so…hot," she sighed. Her breath hitched, making his cock twitch against his palm. He heard her phone creak as she gripped the receiver and he had to smile to himself.

"You're turned on."

"Yes I am," she laughed. "Oh my gosh…Peeta…"

"What are you doing?"

"Touching myself…I….I didn't know it could feel this good."

He grinned, yanking his track pants down further over his hips. He pushed his shirt up and leaned back against the futon. "We're better when we're together."

"Yes…" she trailed off.

Peeta threw back his head and gripped his phone so hard he thought it might crack. He was so incredibly turned on to the thought of Katniss actually touching herself to his words that he knew he wouldn't last long.

"I want you so bad. I just want to kiss down your body and touch and taste you and then feel you fall apart against my mouth."

"Oh…"

"Then after you came I'd pull back and just sink into you. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"Mmmhm..." she groaned. "I can't wait until we're together again and we can do this Peeta…I…."

"That's it. Keep going. I want to hear it. I'm close too baby," he said softly, running his hand up and down his shaft. "Just keep touching. Imagine it's me beside you and we have all night. It's just us."

He could hear her panting and breathing heavily on the other end of the line. Her soft noises made his stomach coil as he furiously stroked himself. The tightening spread to his groin, making him bite his lip and dig his own fingers into his flesh. "Fuck…"

"Oh…oh….I'm…."

Her noises sent him over the edge. He faintly heard her drop the phone on the other end of the line, but he was too busy with the intense orgasm that hit him like a wrecking ball. He came all over his stomach as Katniss picked up the phone again.

"Shit," she panted. "Peeta?"

"Fuck…oh…" he groaned, still reeling. His eyes were squeezed shut as he came down from the intense moment. His breaths came out in short, tight pants as he let his head fall back against the back of the futon. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," she replied breathlessly. "I was just listening. Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah," He agreed with a chuckle. He shifted slightly and grabbed a few Kleenex from the nearby side table. "Sorry."

"No, it was great. Really…great," she admitted. "I've never done anything like that before."

Peeta stood up, pushing down his shirt and quickly pulling up his pants. He grinned into the phone and quickly cleaned himself up in case Mark came barging in just in time to ruin the moment. "That was amazing. Oh my God, I'm going crazy without you. I hope you know that."

"Crazy enough to be able to talk me into phone sex," she laughed. "It was…pretty fun though."

"You don't say."

"Aren't you going to be late for that study group?"

"Ah, shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More soon! I hope you enjoy these two and their first awkward, slightly lame attempt at phone sex. I know some of you will be like, 'Uh, that was super awkward and not hot.' - well...have you ever imagined what first time phone sex would be? Yeah...it can be super weird lol.
> 
> I had a super horrible day at work and I would love to hear what you thought! It would make this little author really happy : )
> 
> Work has been a bitch lately and I'm sorry to say I haven't gotten to respond to any reviews this past week. Please be patient - I love you all and will get back to you as soon as I can because I adore you all for reading : )


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: September 30th (Part III)

(Peeta's POV)

Peeta yanked his pants up with a gasp after disconnecting with Katniss. "Holy fuckin' shit," he muttered. He'd just had phone sex. Hot, awkward, phone sex with Katniss. On a list of things he thought she would never even consider doing with him, that had to at least be in the top five.

He ran a hand through his slightly sweaty hair and gulped as he stood on shaky legs and glanced at the clock. "Study group…fuck." He was late. The study group had started twenty minutes ago.

"Shit shit shit," he swore as he flew around his room. Mark was thankfully still MIA, but who knew how long that would last? At least he hadn't walked in in the middle of that – that was a situation not even Peeta could talk his way out of. His pants around his ankles spread out on the futon, jerking off as he moaned into the phone….he cringed. That would have been tough to explain or at least live down. Peeta quickly gathered his things and took a quick glance in the mirror to make sure he hadn't gotten any evidence on his clothes. Boy would that suck. If he thought the kids in his study group hated him now, they'd sure hate him if he showed up to the study session with cum stains somewhere embarrassing. He gave himself a quick once over and tried his best to not look like he'd just gotten away with something dirty before dashing out the door of his dorm room.

The cool fall air hit his face as he jogged towards the library, effectively snapping him back to reality. He could hardly wait to get Katniss a cell phone. As pervy as he felt thinking about it, he knew there would be more opportunities for phone fun if she actually had something besides the huge, ancient landline phone on her desk. Yes, the twenty one year old in him could only think of the things they could do with phones that had texting, pictures, and video. The possibilities were endless.

Peeta jogged through the quad, the late September air biting at his lungs. The days were still warm, but the nights were growing colder as fall set in and crept closer to winter. He could see his breath in the night air as he finally reached the door of the library, yanking it open and hurrying inside. His stomach was rumbling as he hurried through the second set of doors. He grinned as he realized he'd been too busy having phone sex to even eat dinner.

"Hey Boggs," he greeted his library supervisor. He worked afternoons in the library sometimes for some extra cash, and Boggs had become one of his good friends. He was a grad student that was from Peeta's hometown, so the two got along pretty well. "Have you seen my study group?"

Boggs looked up over his glasses and gave him a crooked smile. "Second floor, right of the steps. They came back about half an hour ago. Where were you?"

Peeta shrugged and flashed his friend a smile. "Busy."

He shot up the steps and found his study group, apologizing profusely for being late. They seemed irritated but ultimately more worried about the upcoming exam so not much was said after that. They went over their notes again and again, trying to determine which questions would be on the actual test. Their teacher had a knack for using study guide questions as extra credit, so they knew they needed to know the study guide forwards and backwards. Peeta tried his best to keep up as they ran through the final few chapters for the midterm, but his mind kept going back to Katniss and the way she sounded on the phone. All of her little breathy sounds and pants and moans had him half hard while sitting in the library with a study group of ten other kids. He clenched his fists together and bit his knuckle as he stared down at the text in front of him. It was all starting to blur together anyway, but this added distraction wasn't any help.

Pull it together Mellark. You need to ace this exam to get an A.

As difficult as it was, he managed to sit there calmly until just past midnight. When the group finally broke for the night and went its separate ways he couldn't have been more relieved. His hormones were still in overdrive as he thought about the memory of Katniss and the way she'd sounded on the phone as she'd touched herself for him. There was a hot shower back at his dorm calling his name.

He made his way down to the first floor of the library and sighed. The tables were jam packed with students all cramming for midterms and working on group projects. The first floor of the library was where it was actually okay to be somewhat noisy and talk, but the second floor was as quiet as a morgue. Either way, every floor of the library was full of students and would be for the next two weeks. The next week was officially the halfway point of the semester, and midterms were spread out over a two week period. His finance exam was the only test he was really not looking forward to; all the rest he knew he'd do fine on. With a yawn, he groggily stopped at the front desk to log his study hours down for his fraternity. As a junior, he was expected to spend no less than ten hours a week studying in the library. He'd gotten just that many that day.

"Hey Peeta," a familiar voice purred.

He looked over his shoulder and gave Cassie a friendly nod. "Hey."

"You here studying too?"

No, I'm here throwing a party, he thought sarcastically. "Yeah, big exam this week. Been busy."

"I've barely seen you this week!"

He scribbled his name and the date in the study binder, trying his best to look uninterested in Cassie's advances. Maybe if he ignored her she'd go away. "Yeah."

Cassie didn't take the hint.

"What have you been up to?"

He finished logging his study hours and closed the thick binder with a snap before turning around. He was met with Cassie's coy grin.

"What have I been up to? Um…no good," he chuckled, brushing past her. She called something out after him, but he couldn't be bothered to turn around. All he could think about was getting to a hot, private shower and revisiting the memory of earlier that night. He simply couldn't be sated when it came to Katniss Everdeen.

It was Thursday afternoon when his phone rang. He was out on the quad tossing a football around with some friends, relaxing after two of his five midterms were finally over for the week. He expected it to be Katniss, but he was actually pleased to see who the caller was. He waved off his friends and wiped the sweat off his face before answering.

"Dad."

"Son!"

"What's going on?"

"Oh you know….just buttering my buns if ya know what I mean."

Peeta wrinkled his nose. "You at work?"

"…um, yeah. Yeah, I'm at work. Packing up for the day and just thought I'd give my youngest son a call."

Peeta chuckled at his father as he heard his mother yelling about something the background. "What's mom want?"

"Oh um…I'm supposed to ask about a test?"

"Yeah, I had my midterm tell her. I think I did alright."

"He says he aced it. Yeah honey…the teacher actually stepped down after he turned his exam in, said he should teach it next semester, so…okay, I'll shut up," he called to his wife. Peeta could hear his mother yell something back, but her voice was muffled and he had to laugh. His dad had always been a goofy guy. "Anyways, how's things?"

"Good. I have my three easy midterms next week, and then I'm coming home for Fall Break."

"So you'll be home next Thursday? You know what that means…."

"Mustang time," Peeta laughed. "Yeah, I want to work on the car, sure. I was hoping to get in some hours at the bakery as well if that's alright. I could use some extra cash."

His father gave an excited hoot of laughter into the phone, making him pull it away from his ear.

"Wooo! Mellark boys back in business! That's what I'm talking about!"

"Wow dad, you're uh…really excited about bread and pastries. I feel you, not that I don't…love them…but hey, I do have something important I want to talk to you about when I come home, alright?"

Mr. Mellark stopped laughing eventually, his voice taking on a tone of concern. "What's up Peeta? You can talk to me….mom is in the front of the bakery," he said slyly.

Peeta had to smile. "No, it's nothing…not now. It's not a big deal; I swear I just need to ask you something about Christmas is all."

He wanted to see if it would be alright to have Katniss spend some time with him at Christmas. He knew she would want to be with her mom and Prim for Christmas Eve, but he was hoping she would come over for Christmas day. His parents had a huge holiday party on Christmas day night, and he was hoping she would be there to meet his family. He wasn't sure how his mother would react to him wanting to bring a girl home for Christmas, but he would have to see. If he could talk his father into it then he had a better chance of convincing his mother. He just wanted to show her off – she was the most important person in his life that wasn't blood related and he wanted to spend every second with her.

"Good deal, good deal. Listen, you have a good weekend and I'll see you…?"

"Next Thursday. I'm coming home next Thursday and I'll be there until Sunday."

"Deal, my boy. Can't wait to have you home Peet."

After a quick shower, Peeta dressed and hurried to the local mall to do what he had wanted to do since his phone fun with Katniss: buy her a cell phone. The startup cost would be a little pricy, but he discovered it wasn't actually that much more to add a second line onto his own bill. Since he paid it himself with the money he had saved up, he didn't see any harm in doing his girlfriend this favor. She worked so hard all summer and he knew it had broken her heart to have to spend a large chunk of her earnings on a new laptop for school. He also had the sneaking suspicion that she had to help Prim out with money on more than one occasion as well. Their mother worked hard as a nurse, but Peeta knew it couldn't be cheap to own a home and two cars and have a daughter in high school and one in college. For it all to come out of one paycheck had to be a stretch. So, he didn't feel too bad buying her an expensive cell phone; she deserved it. In his mind it was the least he could do to show her how much he appreciated her. And after all, she had said he could get her one so that was just what he was doing. She probably wasn't expecting a brand new iphone, but he couldn't help himself. She worked so hard and gave so much of herself that she deserved to let him do this for her.

Money always had been and still was a touchy subject with Katniss. It was a fact that he had grown used to in their time together. Although they'd never discussed it, Peeta knew that Katniss knew he came from money. Well, his mother did. His father came from a normal, mid to upper class family from the suburbs of town while his mother had come from some of the oldest money in the area. They had met and married back in college, his mother funding his father's dream to open a bakery. Peeta knew it was in large part to his grandfather's investors and his mother's contacts that the bakery had thrived as it had, and now they owned five different stores in the area. His family was well off and he knew it would shake Katniss a bit to see where he lived.

He watched as the man packaged up the phone for him, explaining the directions to activate it once she got it. He nodded and pretended to listen, but his mind was somewhere else. Would it bother Katniss to see his family's home? Just because his parents were wealthy didn't mean he was. In fact, his parents had made him work for most of his life in the bakery; he'd spent almost every Saturday of his teenage years there working from dawn to dusk. He was a rich kid but he'd always known how to put in a hard day's work. He'd had to earn practically every dime they'd ever given him, but he'd never minded.

He just hoped it wouldn't freak Katniss out.

After thanking the sales associate, he tucked the bag under his arm and wandered around the mall for a few minutes. Not many of the stores drew his attention until he saw a Barnes and Noble. With a grin, he walked inside. He had one more purchase to make.

Katniss' face popped up on his Skype monitor later that night. She smiled brightly and waved into her webcam, her silvery eyes tired.

"Hey," he greeted. "You look tired."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I had that chem exam today. But it's over and I'm free all weekend!"

"Does that mean you'll let me come kidnap you tomorrow afternoon?"

She beamed. "It does. If you'll have me."

"Of course. Next weekend is Fall Break and I won't see you then."

"I know, that's my break too. I promised Prim I would come home for some bonding."

"Nice. Hey, I got you a surprise. Two, actually."

He watched as her face lit up. "As much as I hate surprises, I'll allow it if it's from you. Do tell."

"Well one I'm saving for tomorrow, but one…I can show you now. Mark's actually down the hall doing his laundry for once."

"Will he be gone this weekend?"

"You know it," he winked. "But I got you something I'll show you now. Well…it's actually an 'us' present, but whatever," he chuckled, pulling out the Barnes and Noble bag. He pulled out the familiar looking book and held it up to his webcam.

Katniss leaned forward to read the title before her eyes went wide. "Ohmigod, Peeta. You bought us a book about porn?"

"What? No! It's the Kama Sutra book from the day…the movie theater day," he said with a hushed whisper. "Remember? We saw it and I….I thought it could be fun."

Katniss giggled nervously, covering her mouth and turning a little pink. "Seriously? Oh god, I…wow. Peeta…"

"Just bear with me. Not all of it is weird or tricky or freaky," he laughed, flipping through the pages. Once he had gotten home that night he'd spent a good hour flipping through the pages and marking the ones that piqued his interest. He stopped on a particular pose the he wanted to try and raised an eyebrow. "Some of it is actually really…um…inspiring," he coughed.

"Let me see," she laughed.

He peered into the web cam and winked. "We'll save that for this weekend. I've got some tricks up my sleeve yet, Everdeen."

"Oh, I don't doubt it."

"Pick you up tomorrow?"

"It's a date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, many of you have been asking about Peeta's monetary situation since the start of the story. To answer your question - yes, his family is wealthy. They are a 'Merchant' family, if you will. Peeta's mom comes from serious old money and Peeta's dad wasn't too bad off to start with. So yes, they're loaded. However: they have taught him how to be a hard worker. He saved up all of his money from Camp and from years at the bakery so that is how he had money to get her presents. His dad got him a credit card for 'emergencies' that his mom doesn't know about - that will come into play later ; )
> 
> If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by Tumblr or twitter and pick my brain - I'm always around to answer questions. I'll also be posting pictures of Peeta's house on my Blog!
> 
> Love you guys! Thank you for reading!
> 
> I've also posted a new Everlark Fic - Arrows and Cupids!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: October 7th

(Katniss)

She let out a small laugh as Peeta swung their hands between them, grinning giddily like an idiot. They had just made it back to Peeta's school after he'd picked her up and now he was insisting that they go out to eat. She'd barely had time to throw some clothes in a bag after her Friday class before Peeta was calling her room phone to tell her he was there. He was so excited to see her that his happiness was contagious – she found herself grinning right along with him as they walked towards the restaurant.

"I'm taking you to get some of the best Italian food there is," he bragged.

"Oh?" she asked. They had opted to walk the short distance to the restaurant instead of driving. The fall day was beautiful and it was probably one of the last warm weekends they would have for a while before winter settled in. "We could have just ordered pizza."

"Nah…we can do that tomorrow if you want before the party. Oh, did I tell you about that? Yeah, we're going to a party."

"A party?" she asked skeptically.

He nodded. "At my frat house. And don't worry – it's a highlighter party so you don't have to wear anything special. Just jeans and I'll get you a white t-shirt."

"What exactly…is a highlighter party?"

He grinned as they walked up to the restaurant. Ever the gentleman, he pulled the door open for her. "It's a party held in a big, blacklit room. Everyone has highlighters and white t-shirts and you just…drink and dance and write all over everyone. Hence the white shirts; highlighters shows up under a black light. So everyone is drunk and glowing...it's awesome."

"Okay," she laughed slowly. She'd never been to a real party with Peeta, and she had to admit she was curious. She'd seen the version of him that existed when they were along together, and she actually wanted to see him interact with his friends. "I'm game."

"We don't have to stay long," he said as they were seated. "But the guys would like to meet you. They keep asking me if you exist."

"If I exist? Am I that elusive?"

"No, but all I do is talk about you and they kinda think I'm making you up."

"I'd like to meet your friends, sure."

Parties had never really been her scene in college. The last party she'd been to was the one she'd lost her virginity at, so she hadn't been that excited to go to another one. But if Peeta wanted to make an appearance and introduce her to his friends, she decided she would oblige him. After everything they'd been through, they deserved a carefree night together.

They were sitting in a booth by a window and she had to admit she enjoyed the ambiance. It was a quaint, dimly lit place the smelled like heaven and was full of college students. A waitress came with their drinks and some of the best sweet bread she'd ever tasted.

"I like this place," she sighed. "Do you come here a lot?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's kinda the staple around here for cheap food that's still really good. This was uh…the place I was going to take you the first weekend you visited me. Remember? We um…missed our reservations."

Katniss felt a blush blossoming in her cheeks as she remembered. They had spent the entire night together fooling around and having a marathon sex session. Reuniting had been so wonderful they had completely forgotten to eat. He mirrored her smile and gave her a knowing wink.

"I'm glad you're here," he said, reaching across the table. "My dad said to tell you hello."

"He did?"

She perked up immediately, hoping he would bring up his family. He talked about his dad a lot; he seemed idolize him. However, he rarely spoke of his mother.

"Yeah, I called him the other day and told him I was coming home next weekend for Fall Break. He was super pumped. He called me again this morning just to double check what time I'd be home, so I know he's excited. He wants to work on the Mustang."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, I'm the baby of the family and by far the favorite. Well, I guess my mom likes Rye better."

"Poor Bannock," she giggled.

"He's the redheaded stepchild of the family anyway. He can't cook to save his life."

"Well then I'm shit out of luck. I suck at cooking. Will they like…hate me if I can't cook?"

Peeta raised one eyebrow and sipped his drink. "A family full of bakers? Maybe," he joked. "Nah. My mom doesn't really cook all that much. She can, she just doesn't like to do it. She likes to watch my dad do all the cooking while she drinks wine."

"I might like her after all."

Peeta laughed and sipped his drink. "Speaking of my family…would you maybe want to meet them sometime?"

Katniss swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. "Um…sure."

"Okay. Well I was going to bring it up to my parents next weekend…I thought you'd maybe want to visit around Christmas."

"Christmas?" she asked hesitantly. Christmas had never been a big deal in their household; without much money, they tried to put the focus more on spending time together. Prim would be really hurt if she was left out.

"Yeah. We have like five weeks off for break and I thought it might be cool for you to come hang out for a few days. What do you guys do for Christmas?"

She shifted in the booth and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Well…usually my mom works a few doubles around the holidays for some overtime pay…so usually it's just me and Prim. We….do stupid stuff."

"Like what?" he asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Like…well, we string popcorn and usually attempt to make cookies. Sometimes if it snows we make snow angels and have a snowball fight. Anything cheap…or possibly free," she admitted.

Peeta grinned at her. "Sounds like fun."

"What about you? What does your family do?"

"Well….we do the normal open one gift on Christmas routine, then we usually watch 'A Christmas Story'…then we wake up the next day and do a huge breakfast together and then that night we host a huge Christmas party for all of our family and friends. Usually a lot of people. But it's fun – drinks and food and all that. I thought maybe you could come?"

"That would be really fun…I'll have to talk to Prim though…just to make sure she wouldn't mind me leaving her."

"Maybe just for Christmas day? She could come too. There's tons of people at the party, I'm sure she would love it."

"Maybe," she agreed. Although the idea of spending a holiday as important as Christmas with Peeta was appealing, she wasn't sure she wanted to leave Prim alone while their mother worked at the hospital. She knew Prim would absolutely leap at the chance to go to a fancy party and see where Peeta lived. But would they stick out at a place like that? She wasn't sure what type of home life Peeta had, but her imagination had taken care of that. She pictured a huge, sprawling brick mansion somewhere in the country that could fit seven or eight of her own modest home inside of it. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she couldn't help her old insecurities from roaring back to life.

"Just think about it. If you can come, I'd love it," he said softly. She smiled at him and nudged his foot under the table.

"Okay," she agreed.

Their food came soon after, so she tried to push the thought from her mind and enjoy her meal with Peeta. They got such little time together and she didn't want to worry about that yet.

"I'm so full," Peeta groaned, rubbing his stomach miserably.

Katniss laughed as she tossed her bag on the floor and flopped down on the futon. "That's what you get for doing the all you can eat spaghetti special," she laughed. Suddenly, she sat up. "Wait, did you wash this cover recently?"

"Relax," he waved her off. "I make Mark launder it before he leaves for the weekend. He did his chore," he assured her with a smirk.

Katniss sighed in relief. "Good…I didn't want to catch Cassie's slut rabies," she muttered. Peeta snickered from his spot over by his desk and shook his head at her.

"I promise you won't catch slut rabies in this dorm room. I make sure everything is laundered and I also know have a jumbo sized tub of Clorox wipes. And I know how to use them," he said, waving his finger at her.

"So where's this book I keep hearing so much about?" she asked, sitting back up. She crossed her legs and gave him an expectant look. It had been almost a month since they had last been together, and she was hoping to fix that. Her birth control hadn't had enough time to kick in yet, but Johanna had assured them that the odds of a condom breaking twice in a row had to be one in a million. Katniss wanted to pick up their relationship where they'd left off and put the whole 'almost accident' behind them.

She figured looking through a Kama Sutra manual was the best place to start.

"You want to see the book?" he asked brightly, popping his head around the corner of his closet. She bit her lip seductively and nodded.

"I might."

Peeta's eyes darkened slightly before he nodded, hurrying over to his closet. Katniss laughed as he dug through some clothes and finally pulled out a plastic bag from Barnes & Noble. "Here," he said awkwardly as he handed it to her.

Katniss felt nervous and a little more than scandalous by holding the brightly colored book in her hands, but she pushed it down and patted the spot next to her. "Can we look through it together?"

Peeta smirked and nodded, taking his place beside her on the futon. "Dear Penthouse…"

"Shut up."

"Sorry."

"So….this is the infamous book…."

"Yeah…that it. Is it….weird that I bought it?" he asked, rubbing his hands nervously across his knees.

She shrugged. "No…I mean, you're not bored or anything, right?"

"Quite the opposite. We….we have fun, I just….I thought this could be fun too."

Katniss flipped through the brightly decorated pages, pausing on certain poses that looked especially interesting. The cartoons weren't what she expected – faceless men and women that were either pink or blue that were anatomically correct. The book listed detailed instructions for each pose and several scenes to give the readers an idea of how it should pan out. The corners of the pages had suggestive little tips that made her blush.

She giggled at one and wrinkled her nose. "Do you want me to lightly stroke your perineum when you come?" she laughed.

Peeta's cheeks turned bright red as he stared at the picture of a man and a woman performing oral sex on each other in a sixty nine position. The suggestion on the corner of the page suggested she lightly massage the area behind his balls as he climaxed.

Peeta leaned closer to read the little box and she watched as his eyebrows shot up. "Well…I certainly wouldn't say no," he laughed awkwardly.

"Oh God!" she burst out laughing, glancing over at him. His cheeks were red and so were hers, but she had to admit looking through the book with Peeta right beside her was…fun. It was also funny – some of the positions and suggestions were just plain laughable, but she still had a good time reading about them.

Peeta leaned back and wrinkled his nose after a while. "Okay, please don't ever ask me to do anything where I have to mimic a helicopter. I mean, I just don't think my body was mean to actually do that," he admitted.

Katniss patted his arm. "Well, don't expect me to do a backbend during sex either and I think we'll be on the same page. I'm no contortionist," she admitted dryly. "I was pretty out of the loop though. I had no idea that…well, I guess it wouldn't have ever even dawned on me to try half of this stuff."

Peeta took the book from her hands to see the picture she was referring to. "I don't think it would have ever occurred to me either, and I'm a guy and pretty much think about sex all day. I mean, 'Pinwheel'? Who named this shit?"

"I'm not sure," she said slowly. A sudden shyness made her want to curl inside of herself. This book was extreme – what did it mean that Peeta wanted to do these things with her? Even though he swore he wasn't bored with their relationship she couldn't help but worry a little. "What….are you sure you want to try this stuff?"

She watch him try to shrug nonchalantly and lick his lips. "If you want to, sure. Why, what's wrong?"

Katniss stared at a few of the pictures again as she flipped through the book. It was all so intense. And…exposing. Most of the positions required her to be extended in some foreign position with her legs open or twisted at some weird angle it seemed. What if she didn't look flattering while attempting some of these and he was disgusted? What if her boobs jiggled around weirdly or her stomach stuck out or she did something embarrassing? She loved Peeta but that didn't make being embarrassed or humiliated in front of him any easier.

"Katniss…" he said slowly, brushing his hand on her arm. "We don't have to do any of this. I mean that. If anything…this book can just be a silly reminder of that day in the book store. I didn't buy it to upset you."

She shook her head. "Peeta, you don't ever do anything that you think would purposely upset me – I know that. It's not how you operate," she smiled softly. Her eyes shifted to his; his deep blue orbs were full of worry and concern as he watched her.

"Okay," he replied slowly. "I mean…look: the first two positions we've already done. So technically we've used the book."

She snorted, leaning forward on her knees. "Well, I think you on top and then me on top pretty much covers it; I think that's actually considered like a warm up in this book," she snorted. Flipping the page, she came to a picture of a two figures. One of the female's legs over his arm as they had sex standing up against a wall. She felt the memory of the time against his door come rushing back to her suddenly. Peeta stared at the picture with her, shifting slightly next to her. His leg brushed up against hers and she heard him clear his throat as he leaned in closer.

"Make that three we've tried. Do you remember when we did that?" he asked quietly, his voice raspy.

She nodded. "I do."

Peeta leaned a little closer to her as she stared at the picture. It wasn't a particularly erotic picture per se; however, the memory of actually doing it like that gave her shivers. Every nerve ending in her body stood on end as Peeta spoke quietly in her ear.

"I think about that all the time you know," he added softly, leaning up behind her. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as his lips brushed against her ear. "I picture us together against my door or…or in the shower or out in the woods like that."

"You do?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded before slowly leaning forward and placing a soft, lingering kiss on her neck from behind. "I think about taking you like that and just having my way with you. Can you imagine if we go back to Camp Panem next summer? We'd have so much fun together…."

Katniss felt an erotic burst of energy shoot down her spine, warming her from the inside out. Peeta moved his lips up to her ear, lightly biting her earlobe. She cried out in surprise and enjoyment as he reached around to turn her face toward his. Peeta's mouth claimed hers softly at first, but his kiss slowly grew more aggressive as she kissed him back. Katniss parted her lips eagerly, waiting for Peeta to take the invitation. Without hesitation he slid his tongue forward and languidly ran it against hers. Their tongues moved together, tasting and exploring as the promise of what was to come lingered between them. She let out a little moan of desire as he used his free hand to pull her body to the side to have better access.

It had been so long.

He'd had his hands on her body since then, but not like this. Before they knew it wouldn't end in sex – now they knew it would. That simple fact alone made the air in his dorm room feel charged with electricity and need. Katniss grabbed his cheeks and kissed him deeper; she needed more. They had all weekend together to take their time and be slow and loving and tender.

Right now she just needed him.

The ache between her legs seemed to pulsate in time with his labored breaths as she stood and fumbled with the clasp on her jeans. Peeta took her lead and did the same, yanking his khakis and underwear down to his ankles. That was as far as they got, for she was already ripping at her shirt and he at his. Her bra and underwear flew to the other side of the room as she settled herself in his lap. Peeta was breathing hard, his blue eyes darkened with desire.

Does he know what he does to me? He has to, she thought.

Peeta held her firmly in his lap, leaning forward to capture one of her nipples in his mouth. He rolled it on his tongue and made her back twist with excitement. This was what she wanted.

"I've missed you," he murmured, switching to the other side. Katniss wound her hands in his blonde curls as she straddled his naked lap, his hardness already poking at her stomach.

"I've missed you too," she panted as he fisted his hair. Peeta laughed as he kissed the swell of her breast. "I missed these too."

"Did you now?" she laughed.

His response was muffled as he sucked on her other peak, effectively making her laughter erupt into a desperate groan. Her back arched and she grabbed his face and looked at him squarely.

"I need you. Now."

Peeta's blue eyes went a little wide as he nodded. Katniss reached for his khakis on the floor, knowing he would have a condom in his wallet. Peeta grinned up at her as she straddled his lap again and opened it up. She pulled the foil packet from his wallet, carefully handing it to him. Peeta rolled it on and wasted no time grabbing her hips and pulling her against him.

"Ready?"

"I've wanted this for days now," he groaned as she lowered herself onto him. Her breaths got shorter and shorter as she slowly impaled herself on his stiffness.

"Me too…oh shit," she wailed quietly. The feeling of him stretching her again was a slow burn that was a mixture of uncomfortable and exquisite. It had been a long time so she was a little tighter than she remembered, but it still felt like coming home. Her knees ached slightly as she slowly lowered herself completely against his hips.

"Oh fuck," Peeta groaned, his head falling back against the back of his futon. She leaned forward, sliding his length back out slightly before lowering herself again. His hands rested on her hips as she rode him slowly, his fingers digging into the skin on her hips. He panted a few times before sliding his palms up to cup her breasts.

He kissed his way up her chest, over her collar bone, and up to her neck as she slowly grinded herself against him. Each upward movement made him gasp lightly against her skin, his breath hot and needy. Soon his hips were rising up off the futon in synch with her movements, his thrusts animalistic and hard. Katniss heard herself cry out but she couldn't be bothered to care how much noise she was making. Glancing down, she watched as Peeta thrust up against her body with his mouth open in pleasure. She leaned down and captured his plump bottom lip between her teeth and nipped him lightly. His eyes opened and a smile spread across features.

"Did I…tell you…I miss this?" he panted between thrusts.

She nodded, smiling against his mouth as she kissed him again. They needed this – this rejoining and reclaiming of each other after the past month. It had all been too much and was now bubbling to the surface in a whirl of needy, desperate desire. They could take their time later – now, she just wanted him.

"I'm…not gonna last…shit Katniss I'm gonna come," he groaned dejectedly. He gave her a pleading look as she rode him, but she clenched herself around him and increased their friction without answering him. It didn't matter if she didn't finish that instant – she knew he would make it up to her later.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22: October 7th (part II)

(Katniss POV)

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Peeta wipe the sweat from his forehead and grin. She shook her head and pulled the blanket off the back of the futon, draping it over their bodies still heaving bodies. The heavy Italian food they'd just eaten didn't do much for stamina during reunion sex, but she couldn't help but feel completely full and sated as she tucked the blanket around her body and leaned against the futon.

"Wow," he muttered, shaking his head. "I never get tired of that."

"Good," she snorted, eying the book on his desk. "But maybe we can try some stuff in that book."

Peeta's red face lit up as he glanced over towards his desk and then back at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Why not. I trust you, and…well, it could be fun."

He poked her side. "Just like what we just did was fun?"

"Right," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "Are you uh…sure you want to go out tonight?"

Peeta chuckled and pulled her legs into his lap. "Yes. Like I said, my friends think I'm making you up. Besides, I want to show you off."

"Peeta…you could get any girl you wanted. All she'd have to do is let you talk and…well, let you into her pants."

He waggled an eyebrow at her in response. "I don't want any girl. I want this girl," he teased, pinching the top of her knee. She was extra ticklish there, making her legs jolt on top of his.

"You know I'm ticklish there you dweeb!" she laughed, throwing her head back in a fit of gut laughter. Peeta laughed menacingly in her ear, pinning her down against his lap as he playfully pinched her again and again. Before long she was gasping for breath and her entire body was shaking with laughter and it just felt so good.

She hadn't laughed like that in too long. Maybe she would let go and have fun that night – she needed it.

They still had some time before the party, so she slipped into one of his old t-shirts and a pair of too big sweatpants as he put on a movie. They lounged together on the couch, blissed out and smiling for a few minutes before Peeta reached behind the futon.

"I have a present for you," he admitted sheepishly, pulling the bag out. Katniss watched as he produced a silver, glittering bag from the hiding place and presented it to her. Remembering his words about 'taking care of her', she accepted the bag and eyed him instead.

"What is it?"

Peeta snorted and rolled his eyes. "One way to find out."

She stuck her hand into the white tissue paper. "Did you pick this bag out yourself?" she teased, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Shut up and open it."

Her hand remerged with something slightly heavy and smooth. Frowning, she glanced down and realized she was holding a brand new cell phone. Her eyes flicked up to his.

"This was part of the deal," he warned her quickly, holding up his hand. "You said I could get you one."

Katniss sighed and turned the phone over in her hand. "Thank you, but…I didn't need a new fancy one Peeta."

He grinned and shrugged, reaching over to flip it on. "I wanted you to have something nice. That's all. Besides, it's bundled in with mine and it wasn't that much more a month to add it."

"You can see my phone bill then?"

"I'd never look," he answered quickly, shaking his head.

Katniss had to laugh at his words as she shook her head. "I'd only ever call you and Prim…maybe Jo," she shrugged. "Does it make you feel better that I would have this?"

He nodded. "After everything….yeah. Plus now you can text me wherever you are and…if there's an emergency I've already programmed your campus police and 911 into the speed dial."

Katniss navigated dumbly around the phone for a second before figuring out how to even dial. When she saw '911' first and 'Police' second, she had to smile. "Thank you Peeta. I love it, actually. I mean…I love that you did this for me."

"You do?" he asked in disbelief.

She nodded. "It's hard for me to accept, but….I do like the fact that you want to help me. But only until I get a job – then the bill is mine. Okay?"

He gave her a million dollar smile before pulling her against his chest. "Does this mean we can have phone sex again?"

"Deal," she laughed.

After a quick and uneventful shower on the girls' floor, Katniss hurried back to Peeta's room. She was still afraid of running into Cassie when she wasn't paying attention. Normally she wouldn't mind running into that hot mess of a girl, but she simply wanted to be prepared just in case she ever did run into her. At the moment, her mind was too busy whirring with thoughts about the highlighter party at Peeta's frat house to even worry about Cassie.

She closed the door to his room behind her and locked it, blushing as she held her robe around herself. Peeta was freshly showered as well, standing in front of his closet applying his deodorant.

"Show go alright?"

"Yup."

"Think of me?" he asked hopefully, giving her a wink.

She blushed.

"You smell amazing," he breathed, stepping closer. "I remember the first time I smelled your hair at camp."

"Yeah?" she laughed, wrapping a towel around her wet hair.

"Yeah. It was the time we were making out in the lake shack during that night swim everyone took. Remember that?"

"I do. You got your foot tangled in a volleyball net and pretended to accidently grab my boob."

"Hey now, that was an accident!"

"If that's your story," she laughed, rummaging through her bag. Peeta rolled his eyes and turned around to give her some privacy as she changed. She knew he'd seen her naked at least a dozen times by then, but he knew her well enough to know that she would want privacy for that. Her heart swelled with love for the boy once again as she realized it was indeed the little things that mattered the most in a relationship like theirs.

She pulled out the denim skirt she hadn't really worn since high school – it was frayed on the ends and a little tight, but she didn't think anyone at a frat party would mind. It had been shoved to the back of her closet for a few years and she figured this was the perfect occasion for it. After pulling on her bra and a white t-shirt Peeta had given her, she turned around. He was slipping on a faded pair of jeans over his boxers, but was otherwise uncovered. Katniss coyly let herself drool over the way the denim hung off his shapely ass for a few moments before he might notice her. There was just something about the way he filled out a pair of jeans that made her stop and look.

She'd never really been one to appreciate a man's butt before she met Peeta – or jaw. But Peeta seemed to have the market covered in those departments. The muscles in his arms stretched and flexed as he pulled on the fresh, white t-shirt and settled it around his waist. His blue eyes flicked over to hers and grinned.

"Wow….you look…great," he breathed, his eyes raking down her bare legs. Her summer tan had somewhat faded, but she tried to keep it up by studying on the quad when it was warm enough. Other than that, she was relatively plain looking.

"I do? Um…thank you," she muttered, finger combing her wet hair.

Peeta's eyebrows shot up with surprise. "Wow…you actually took that compliment. I like it," he grinned, walking over to her. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers in a short kiss before backing away. "Will you leave your hair down tonight?"

She wrinkled her nose and glanced in the mirror. "My hair?"

He nodded hopefully.

"Fine," she relented. Peeta's puppy dog face dissipated, making her roll her eyes. He had a way of softening her up at times that she wasn't sure she understood yet. He sat down on his futon and pretended to watch television as she got ready. As she tried her best to calm her frizzy waves and apply what little makeup she owned, she caught him staring at her several times.

"Ready," she finally said, slipping into her flip flops.

He joined his hand with hers and led her across the dark campus through the quad. It was a Saturday night, so students were still out and about. Katniss watched as people read with flashlights on blankets, tossed a light up football, and a she even witness a few people ducking behind the brick buildings to smoke something she guessed was probably illegal. His campus just felt homier than hers and her heart ached to join him at it.

She sighed and kept walking. She'd looked into what it would cost to transfer to Peeta's school on more than one occasion since their original discussion about it. The number glaring back at her on the computer screen wasn't one she was entirely comfortably paying off, so she decided to stay put.

For now.

"This is it," he announced, guiding her up the sidewalk. They stopped in front of a one story, beaten down brick house. It looked like it had been built in the 1970s and had seen better days. The chipped shutters were painted bright red and the front door was purple with a skull and crossbones painted across it. The small yard was fenced in with yellow caution tape and already had beer cans scattered across it. Twenty or so people were on the front porch talking, laughing and drinking.

"Let me guess…your colors and purple and red?"

He snorted. "How'd you know?"

They walked up the steps onto the concrete patio in front of the house and looked around. Peeta waved to several of the guys wearing red and purple shirts with Greek letters, nodding to others. There was a short line to get in the door, which he quickly took her hand again and pulled her around.

"We'll go in the back," he explained. "My buddy lives in house and I already brought my beer over."

"Beer?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. Peeta chuckled as they walked around to the back door of the house with the booming music. "I got you something too, don't worry."

He led her into the basement of the house, down a narrow hallway with open doors. She could hear the walls shaking with the loud, hypnotic party music. A few people were littered about, but this area appeared be for members only. She worried she shouldn't be back there as he pulled her along the dim hallway.

"Most of the older guys live in the basement," he explained. "The other part of the basement is the party room, but my stuff is in my buddy's room so we didn't have to carry it over here tonight."

"What did you get me to drink?"

"You'll see," he winked before pulling her into a room. They were met with a few cheers from the six or seven people in the tiny bedroom as they walked inside.

"Guys…this is Katniss," Peeta proclaimed, pulling her to stand beside him. She gave an awkward wave as Peeta proudly called out the names of his friends.

"Damn Peet, you're positive you're not paying this girl?" a tall boy with red hair joked.

Peeta flipped him off and grinned. "I swear. That's Darius, that's Brandon…we call him Flav, Octavia…"

He rambled off the names quickly before pulling her down onto the couch in the corner with him.

"I'll try and remember all that," she laughed shyly, crossing her legs nervously. She felt weird in front of all these people she didn't know in a skirt, but no one seemed to pay much attention to her as Peeta handed her a beer and a brown paper bag.

"It's alright, they know you're new. Anyway I got you this. Thought you might like it."

She pulled a bottle of something she didn't recognize out of the bag. It was a long, plunger shaped bottle of clear liquid with gold flakes in it. "What is it?"

"It's basically cinnamon schnapps. You always chew Big Red, so I thought you might like this."

The room echoed with a chorus of 'Awws!' from his friends, making Peeta blush and wrap his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, Peeta Mellark takes care of his girl," he joked lightly. Katniss patted his leg before opening the bottle and taking a whiff. It smelled like sharp cinnamon and sugar with only a hint of alcohol. She rarely drank, so she appreciated the fact that he didn't just expect her to drink beer all night.

"You're sweet," she mumbled shyly, tucking her hair behind her ears. Peeta's friends had turned their attention back to the drinking version of a card came they were playing on top of an old trunk in the middle of the room.

"I told you; anything for you," he said, kissing her cheek. She blushed and looked around as he opened the bottle and reached for two shot glasses.

"Cheers," he laughed, clinking is glass with hers. He gave her the boyish grin she loved to dearly before downing his shot. She did the same, letting the cinnamon flavored liquor coat her throat and warm her to the bone.

"You gonna be alright?" he whispered.

Katniss looked around and nodded, the alcohol giving her a bit of liquid courage. "I think I'll be just fine."

When Peeta told her he was in a fraternity, she had an entirely different idea of what that meant. She had pictured all tall, blonde, athletic jocks with an appetite for two things; tits and beer. What she found, however, was the opposite. Peeta's friends were all happy to meet her (after giving him a playful ribbing about never coming around until then), and she found that they were all almost as friendly and outgoing as Peeta. She was surprised to find that many of them had steady girlfriends. Friendly girls. The other two girls in the room weren't anything like she'd pictured the girlfriends of frat guys to be like. They were actually a lot like her; Peeta's friend Octavia was actually a nursing major as well. She pushed her boyfriend Flav over at one point and chatted happily with her about the nursing program at their school.

"Do all of your guy friends have girlfriends?" she whispered as they were taking shots. Peeta winked at her before downing his second shot of Goldschlager and wrapping his arm around her waist. They were still in one of his friends' rooms as the party kicked into gear on the other side of the house.

"The older ones do. The younger guys are kinda wild, but….I'm junior so it's gotten kinda old to be a skirt chaser."

Katniss raised an eyebrow at him and lightly flicked his knee. "Skirt chaser?" she teased lightly.

His tall, redheaded friend clapped loudly, drawing their attention away. "Alright! Time to do this! Ready to go out there?"

They filed out of the room in a group, heading down the hallway towards a door. Once it opened, she had to gasp quietly as the loud music and flickering lights filled her senses. Peeta grabbed her hand and pulled her confidently forward through the crowd. The basement of the fraternity house was absolutely filled with people. The scent of sweat and beer filled the air as Katniss gripped her beer with one hand and Peeta's hand in her other. The first room was a low ceilinged, narrow room with a few pool tables and a bar at the end. They wove through the crowd into the next room. She gasped at the sight.

The long, rectangular room must have run the length of the house. The lights were off, the strobe lights instead giving the room a club-like feel as the music blared. People danced and grinded all around them the song switched to another and everyone cheered as the black lights were flipped on. The room changed colors as the purple light flooded over them and the bright white t-shirts became a brilliant white. Some of his frat brothers in red and purple shirts with letters began handing out highlighters of every color. Peeta grabbed two and handed her one.

"Wow," she laughed over the music. This was insane.

Peeta grinned, the black lights making his white teeth practically glow as his eyes met hers. With a wild look in his eye, he leaned forward and captured her mouth with his in a possessive kiss.

"I'm so happy you're here," he murmured against them. She caught herself smiling as he pulled away, affectionately touching her cheek. His blue eyes were absolutely striking in the black light as he stared at her, his gaze slightly hungry. Then, he ripped the top of his highlighter off with his teeth and leaned forward to write something on her chest. Katniss giggled as the marker pulled across the tops of her breasts, the cotton t-shirt he'd given her pressing against her skin.

"What are you writing?"

"Just wait," he laughed.

When he was finished, she leaned back and slapped his shoulder playfully. She had 'Mellarks' written across her chest with arrows pointing downwards to her breasts.

"Come on, dance with me," he shouted over the music.

"I can't dance!" she laughed, sipping her beer nervously.

Peeta gave her a puppy dog look as the music blared through the speakers and people began gyrating wildly around them. No one else seemed to be paying attention…so what could it hurt? You're only young once, she reminded herself. There had been a time several weeks ago when she thought her time as a normal college student might be taken away from her by possibly getting pregnant; now that they knew that fear was gone, she decided to just go with it. With a shrug, she let Peeta's free hand rest on her hip as he moved to stand in front of her. Soon, his ministrations worked; well, that or the alcohol. She found herself laughing and swaying along to the techno styled music, Peeta's free hand running up and down her side. The people were packed into the party like sardines and everyone was drinking and having so much fun that she stopped worrying she was a bad dancer and let herself go.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23: October 7th (part III)

(Katniss POV)

Peeta snickered as she finished her first beer, crunching the can in her hand as they swayed to the overly produced music. The beer mixed with the shot of whatever he had purchased for her slowly making her unwind and relax. She rarely drank; she'd had a few beers with friends at school, she'd had a few mixed drinks at Camp Panem, and she occasionally treated herself to a bottle of cheap wine after an exam. But a seasoned drinker she was not. The alcohol did its trick though; it flowed through her limbs, coating her veins with a warmth that seemed to ooze self-confidence. She laughed and let Peeta take her hand.

"Where are we going?" she shouted over the music.

"More beer!" he laughed loudly. She watched him toss their empty cans in one trash can before dipping his hand into the ice-filled one next to it. He pulled out two cheap cans of beer before proudly opening hers and handing it over.

"To college," she yelled over the loud music, clinking her can with his.

Peeta grinned, shaking his head. "To being here together. To fun."

Katniss laughed and let Peeta lead her back into the warm, crowded party room. The song switched to something even more upbeat and cliché, but for the first time she found she didn't mind. It was fun to let go and enjoy herself with Peeta. Several of his friends danced their way over through the crowd, flipping Peeta a thumbs up sign when he pointed to the front of her shirt. It still said 'Mellarks' in bright pink highlighter, so she assumed they knew she was his girlfriend. It felt surprisingly good to be there with him, just dancing and acting like a college kid – she'd never gotten to do that. Or at least, not often. Most of her time was spent working, studying, or sleeping. She felt like she was finally finally getting a chance to act like most college kids did. Peeta was a big help – he was showing her off every chance he could, introducing her to his friends and their girlfriends and helping her relax and have a good time. She watched with a smile as he sang along to the music and tossed his already sweaty hair to the side. He was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen and in that moment, his joy was contagious.

Peeta paused to take a drink of his beer, making her eyes light up. Taking her yellow highlighter, she took the opportunity to draw a big smiley face on his white t-shirt with her marker. Peeta laughed and grabbed her arm, covering the exposed skin with bright pink hearts. Normally she'd feel completely stupid writing and drawing on Peeta with a highlighter, but she didn't think. For once in her life, she just acted.

It felt amazing.

When they finished their second beers, Peeta took her hand and dragged her from the room.

"We need shots," he laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"We need no such thing, but I'm not complaining," she chuckled lowly. Peeta led her through the crowded hallway, dodging hoards of eager partygoers until they ducked back into the hallway of bedrooms where they'd been before. Several new people were in the room that he happily introduced her to.

"Damn Mellark, you sure you aren't paying her to date you?" one of his guy friends joked. The girl next to him slapped his shoulder.

"Be nice! It's about time Peeta met a nice girl!" she laughed.

Peeta wrapped his arm around Katniss' waist and pulled her against his side. "She's not so nice," he joked, kissing her temple.

Katniss swatted at his chest, shaking her head. "Is he always like this?"

"Nah. He's extra loopy tonight. Poor kid hasn't shut up about you visiting him for weeks now. Peeta misses his girl!" his friends laughed.

"Hey, now that you've seen her can you understand my feelings?" Peeta asked. "Wouldn't you miss her?"

His friends all laughed as he poured them another shot of her cinnamon flavored alcohol. "You're a sap, Mellark! We love you for it!" another one of his friends laughed.

"Yeah Katniss, you'd better give the poor boy some lovin' tonight. Poor bastard talks about you constantly."

Katniss caught herself grinning as she watched Peeta blush and shrug off their playful jeers. To her relief, he didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that they were teasing him about being so hung up on her. In fact, he seemed pretty comfortable with it.

"You miss me when I'm gone?" she laughed, picking up her shot glass.

Peeta grinned, his eyes slightly glazed from the alcohol he'd already consumed. "Every second."

They clinked glasses as his friends 'aww'd' and downed their shots with a grimace. She sputtered and laughed as Peeta made a face after swallowing. She shook her head and slammed the glass back down on the coffee table before taking another sip of beer to wash it down. She hadn't had this much to drink in forever, but she knew Peeta would take care of her. In a way they were celebrating their newly confirmed freedom.

Peeta began talking animatedly to one of his friends beside him, so she turned to his red-headed friend from earlier, Darius.

"Does he really miss me as much as you guys say?" she asked with a smile.

Darius nodded, running a hand through his bright red locks. "Sadly, yes. The poor bastard chatters about you constantly. You'd think the kid had never had fun before going to that camp."

"Oh, Camp," she mused, smiling to herself.

"Was it really that good? Think they'll have any openings there this summer?"

She snorted. "I hope so. He wants to go back to bad. It was fun though, if we're being honest. I can put in a good word for you."

He smiled. "I'd like that. He talks about camp all the time. We have to sit through his Panem stories every time he drinks. We call them 'Mellarkable remarks'," he snorted.

Katniss laughed and sipped her beer. "Aw, that's sweet. He's a good guy though. Apparently he's chatty when he's drunk, but….."

Peeta was still talking a mile a minute, completely unaware to their conversation.

"I miss him too. I wish I could transfer, but…"

"Just not in the cards?"

"No. I'd give anything to go here though. This place is so much better than State."

"I'm glad you appreciate him. He needed a nice girl after….well, Peet just deserves a nice girl. He's a nice guy that a few girls have turned into a doormat over the years unfortunately. I'm glad he found someone."

Katniss hummed against her can of beer. "I take it you were around for his Cassie phase?"

Darius' face lit up with recognition. "Ah, so you've met the Barbie Ice Queen?"

"I have. She cornered me in the bathroom once. And the next day at breakfast. So weird," she shrugged. "Girl seems like trouble."

He rolled his eyes. "She was trouble, that's why. Stupid bitch strung him along for forever until he finally got the hint. Annoying as fuck."

"I agree."

He sighed, crunching his beer can in his fist. Peeta was still chattering beside her, drunkenly oblivious to their conversation. "I hated seeing him like that. He just wanted a girlfriend, ya know? He's a sap, he's not a doormat like Cassie seemed to think. He really made the whole 'Nice guys finish last' thing into a reality. Poor guy let her walk all over him and he's so nice he just…like took it. Glutton for punishment I guess."

"He was pretty enamored with her from what I gathered," she sighed with a shrug. "I haven't seen her in a while though."

"Eh, she comes to these things sometimes. She knows a bunch of the guys so she gets let in, but….no one really particularly wants her here after what she did to Peet, but…"

"Yeah. He told me what happened between them when we were back at camp."

Darius wrinkled his nose. "Ulgh. Yeah. I didn't think he would ever get over that."

She smirked. "Oh he has."

He grinned. "Thatta girl. Show her who's boss."

"You think she'll come tonight?" Katniss asked. She hadn't even considered the idea that Cassie would show up that night. She'd been at the back of her mind the entire time, but she hadn't realized she actually hung out at Peeta's fraternity sometimes. She pushed away the nagging voice in the back of her mind as Darius talked. Peeta was hers – she knew that now. She had no real reason to feel insecure.

"It's a possibility. I wouldn't worry about it though. She showed up one night while we were drinking on the porch a few weeks back and Peet just looked right through her. You've put a little Katniss spell on him," he laughed.

"Good for him. I know she's around so…"

"Well tell you what. If she does come around, then you show her what's up."

"Will do," she laughed.

Peeta moved behind her and held her hip steady, experimentally grinding his pelvis against her ass. She laughed and leaned backwards, letting her head fall back onto his shoulder as they moved to the music. After a second shot of the Goldschlager they had returned to the crowded main room for more dancing. The more beer she consumed, the less she cared that they were drunkenly dancing the night away at a crowded frat party. She never thought she'd do such a thing but it was too much fun to resist.

Peeta's hand tightened on the hem of her skirt as he stood behind her, his thumb swiping the skin under her white t-shirt. Peeta's friends had all written or drawn on her at some point in the night; her arms and white shirt were now a mass of glowing graffiti under the black lights of the party room. Peeta was the same – his frat brothers had all teased him by writing 'pussywhipped' on the back of his shirt with a bunch of pink hearts. Normally she would have been mortified; that night though, she just wanted to have fun. She'd laughed it off and kept dancing.

She giggled as his fingers slid under the edge of her shirt and tickled as they moved to the hypnotic music.

"You're a good dancer," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath on the base of her spine made her skin tingle in response.

"No I'm not; you're just drunk."

Peeta laughed. "So? You're so hot, you know that?"

"You're so drunk!" she laughed back at him.

Peeta dragged his mouth hotly across the back of her neck, nibbling slightly at the sensitive skin. Goose bumps began to rise up as she realized his drunken ministrations were starting to turn her on. She could feel the apex between her thighs begin to tingle with the telling anticipation she always felt when Peeta started making moves on her. Suddenly, she realized they were in a crowded room full of strangers.

"Peeta…someone might see," she giggled, lightly shoving his face away. "Stop."

"You want me to stop?" he chuckled. The tingling between her legs had become a full on ache at that point. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she bit down on it until she drew blood. Fuck he felt good.

"No," she snorted, bumping her ass against his hardening crotch.

Peeta's hand wound itself around her waist as he thrust his hardening arousal against her. "Fuck you're so hot. You know it too," he whispered in her ear.

Katniss leaned back against his chest and let the loud music resonate through her body as the rhythm drove them on. People around them laughed and danced and paid no attention as the two of them moved erotically together. The denim skirt she wore only made the hot room more bearable and dancing a little easier.

"Guys keep looking at you. You know that? It's cuz you're gorgeous."

She whimpered as he moved his mouth to suck lightly on the curve of her neck. "Peeta…"

"Too bad they can't have you. Too bad you're all mine," he chuckled against her ear. His hand slid across her stomach, pulling her tighter against him as they moved together to the pulsing music.

"I am," she confirmed, nodding. He laughed against her ear, his hot breath making the ache between her legs increase. Turning around, she wound her arms around his neck and looked up at him. His blue eyes were bright and his white teeth were glowing in the black light. His blonde locks were in desperate need of a cut; the curly ends were plastered to his forehead with sweat from the hot room they were in.

"You're not so bad yourself," she laughed, leaning up on her toes. She pressed her mouth against Peeta's willing one in a desperate kiss. He groaned against her mouth and pulled her hips flush with his. Oblivious people danced and shouted and laughed all around them as they moved to the music with their lips pressed together. Katniss sighed against his mouth as he pulled away from her, his teeth pulling lightly at her bottom lip.

His eyes met hers and seemed to darken.

"I didn't think it was possible to want someone so much," he said over the music.

She nodded in agreement, licking her lips before attacking his again. She held his face to hers, her tongue assaulting him wildly as they danced.

"Get a room Mellark!" one of his friends laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. Katniss broke away from him embarrassedly, wiping her mouth with a shy smile.

"Shut the fuck up, Dixon!" Peeta laughed. He grabbed her hand and nodded. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" she asked. She was having fun dancing and drinking and teasing Peeta – she wasn't necessarily ready to leave.

"Just somewhere, really quick. We're not leaving," he promised. He led her through the crowded mass of people, back to the back of the room. They hurried through the small room to the side that was set up as the DJ booth, then through another door.

"Where are we?"

"Laundry room. No one ever comes back here," he explained. They went around a corner and were suddenly in a large, dimly lit room with six washers and dryers.

"Why are we in the laundry room?" she asked coyly.

Peeta placed his hands on her hips and gently pushed her back against a dryer. He met her eyes with a wolfish grin in the dim light. "Why do you think we're here?"

"Peeta….here?" she asked.

He shook his head and shrugged. "It's not what you think," he whispered, rubbing his hands down her sides. He dipped one hand beneath her denim skirt, brushing his hand against the outside of her underwear. She gasped and gripped his shoulder with one hand as the other flew to steady herself on the dryer. A warm, tell-tale heat began to spread through her limbs her body recognized his touch.

"What is it then?" she asked with a smirk.

"It's just…me wanting to touch you. I didn't get you off earlier," he whispered in her ear. His mouth dipped down to run along her warm neck and she could feel the groan that resonated through his body. Katniss leaned her head back to grant him better access. His tongue darted out and lightly licked her skin making her break out in goose bumps again despite the heat.

"Peeta….are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"What if someone comes back here?"

"It's just the laundry room. Hardly anyone knows it's here," he breathed against her neck. He was busy peppering the skin with soft kisses as his hand made another swipe across the cotton of her underwear. She gasped as the tingling feeling ricocheted through her body.

"I'm standing in front of you….they won't see," he said before pressing his mouth to hers. The kiss was deep and probing and pleading as he pinned her gently against the front of the dryer. "Please? I want to make you cum so bad."

She smiled as his fingers rubbed small circles against the front of her underwear again. His words made her arch against him with need. "You're a dirty talker when you've had something to drink."

"No I'm a horny talker," he chuckled. She groaned as his fingers increased their pressure against the cotton. The friction was glorious. He pulled his hand out and held it up. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

She mewled in protest as her body ached again for his touch. Her hand flew to the collar of his shirt to tug on it. "No…I want to. You promise no one will see?"

Peeta grinned and nodded. "Promise. Like I said; no one ever comes back here babe. Come on, just let me…"

He trailed off as he reached his hand beneath the denim fabric of her skirt. Katniss watched through hooded eyes as Peeta's jaw clenched in the way that she loved as he pushed her skirt up so that it was out of his way. It tightened even more as he pushed her underwear aside and touched her wetness. They both groaned at the contact as he slid his fingers up and down over her folds. Her grip on his shoulder tightened.

"Peeta…oh God," she muttered.

"Fuck you're wet," he mumbled, his strokes growing lighter. He looked up to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting," he added with a smirk before sliding two of his digits inside. She gasped and leaned back against the dryer as he filled her up and grinned.

Words left her as he added his thumb on her clit. He rubbed lazy circles against it as his free hand gripped her hip.

"I want to take you back tonight and just rip off our clothes," he whispered softly as he stroked her. She nodded and bit her lip so hard she thought it might turn purple. The last thing she wanted to do was scream and draw attention to them in the middle of this. His fingers felt superb as he worked. If there was one thing Peeta knew, it was how to get her off.

"OH Peeta," she gasped as his thumb circled her again. He pressed it against her before lightly scraping her with his thumbnail. The gentle friction was enough to make her gasp in pleasurable surprise. All too soon the familiar feeling of a promising release began to coil in her belly, making her squirm against his hand.

"I want to take you back and strip you down and just go crazy on each other. We have the room to ourselves…"

"I know," she groaned. "Oh…."

"Do you know how many times I've looked at that book and pictured us doing those things? How hot that would be?"

"You…you h-have?" she stuttered. He flicked her clit with his thumb and grinned when she jumped and whimpered.

"Mmmhm….I look at it all the time and think about what I could do to make you moan my name and scream…."

"Peeta…"

"We'd make up for lost time. I think about taking you in all those different positions. You'd feel exquisite in each one – you always do," he groaned, flicking her again. He switched between that motion and soothing circles. Her body began to climb as he pushed her further against the dryer. The loud music was just a soft thrumming in the background compared to Peeta's voice and her heart pounding in her ears. Time seemed to stop as he brought her closer and closer. She leaned forward and buried her face in his shoulder as the familiar feeling of release slammed through her limbs. Her legs shook as she opened her eyes and gasped.

Standing twenty feet behind them was Cassie. The blonde girl was frozen behind them, a look of shock plastered on her face.

Katniss held her breath as her orgasm hit her, Peeta's fingers working diligently to bring her pleasure. e dHe didn't stop his movements for his back was turned to Cassie and he didn't see her standing there. But she did. He was standing in front of her so she knew the other girl couldn't see anything but it was blatantly obvious what they were doing. The alcohol and the knee-shaking orgasm moving through her veins slowed her thought process, but she didn't care.

Let her see it.

The look on the blonde girls' face was one of pure humiliation and horror. Cassie stood there soundlessly gaping as Peeta brought her hurdling over the edge. Katniss gasped against his shoulder as he continued to curl his fingers against her walls, coaxing another orgasm from her. Katniss couldn't help it – another cry of enjoyment slipped from her mouth. The noise seemed to jolt the blonde onlooker back from her disgust. Their eyes met over Peeta's shoulder and Katniss smirked. Cassie turned on her heel and flounced away with a look of hatred.

Peeta slowly stopped his movements, sliding his hand out from beneath her skirt. She let her head fall forward onto his shoulder as she realized Cassie had definitely just seen Peeta getting her off. She was embarrassed but….she wasn't sorry.

That's right. He's mine.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: October 7th Part IV

(Peeta)

Peeta watched as Katniss stumbled slightly during their walk home from the party. He could tell she was a tad drunker than she'd like to admit, but he wasn't going to point that out. She'd wanted to keep drinking and dancing and laughing and he wasn't about to stop her or tell her she couldn't. They had danced until the party was over and were both completely covered in highlighter and drenched in sweat and spilled beer, but he didn't remember the last time they'd had that much fun together.

In fact, he wasn't even completely sure they ever had that much fun together to begin with.

It was so good to see her smile again. His sappy heart felt light and happy as he watched her clumsy feet fumble to find their footing. Or maybe it was the beers. He'd lost count how many beers he'd consumed, but it was worth it.

"You alright?" he asked, snaking an arm around her waist. Katniss threw her head back and laughed, the throaty sound making him grin. He knew he was drunk, but it was a good drunk. A happy drunk. They'd danced until the party closed down at two, then hung around his frat house for almost an hour afterwards just hanging out in Daruius' room. All of his friends officially loved Katniss; they'd been shooting him thumbs up signs all night and slapping him high fives. He was happy they liked her but he was also relieved that she'd been able to let go and have some fun with him. Her life hadn't been all rainbows and sunshine and he wasn't sure if she ever got to have fun and not worry about Prim, school, her mother, work, etc. This the first time he'd ever really seen Katniss completely relaxed since she'd been at camp.

Now they were walking through the nearly empty quad, laughing and enjoying each other's company on the walk home. Her happy giggles bounced off the slowly changing leaves above them. The air was starting to turn colder – winter was on its way.

"I had so much fun," she laughed, turning to him. "And at a highlighter party! I never thought I'd be able to say I had fun at a frat party but I did holy shit," she rambled.

"You're gonna be hurting in the morning," he warned. "I told you not to take that last shot."

Katniss laughed and walked ahead of him, rolling up her highlighter covered t-shirt with another little giggle. "I don't care. I officially don't care," she slurred slightly. She snorted and looked over her shoulder at him as he walked to catch up.

"Fine miss 'I don't care'…." He said, grabbing her waist. She fell into step beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Are you happy here?"

"Yes."

"I wish you could stay here. With me. I wish you didn't have to go home."

She sighed as they walked, her giggles subsiding. "I do too."

Peeta swayed slightly under the hot sprays of water. Since they were both covered in sweat and highlighter and spilled beer, they had parted ways to quickly shower once returning to his dorm. He ran the soap over his body, washing away the traces of the party and cleaning up for Katniss. He hoped they would get round two once he got back to his room.

He glanced down at his semi-hard member as he ran his soapy hand over himself. "Ready to go big guy?" he slurred to himself. Shaking his head with a laugh, he rinsed himself off and quickly toweled dry. Katniss had been a woman possessed at the party; dancing, laughing, grinding herself against him. He'd never seen her like that and it was the sexiest thing he'd seen her do yet. To see her let go like that and just blatantly show everyone how much she wanted him had been more than he could handle. He'd dragged her back into the laundry room and had almost taken her right there up against the dryer. However, he knew that was a little risky. If they'd been caught his frat brothers would have never let him hear the end of it. So, he'd settled for getting her off with his hand instead as a bit of a prelude. He pictured the way she'd gripped the edges of the old dryer and she'd even bitten his shoulder as she came.

He was eagerly looking forward the main event.

He hurried back to his room, swaying a bit as the hot water of his shower made his steps a bit wobbly. Opening the door, he found Katniss still in a towel with her wet hair hanging down her back. Kicking the door shut, he grinned and dropped his towel on the floor as she turned around.

"Oh God, Peeta!" she gasped when she saw him. He stood in the doorway naked with his towel at his feet as she covered her mouth and giggled. The alcohol was obviously still having an effect on her as well, so he didn't feel too bad.

"What? I was in the shower just…you know, thinkin' about ya," he giggled. The last shot of Goldschlager they'd done together had definitely pushed him over the edge. There was a fine line between 'tipsy' and 'shitfaced' and they had both definitely crossed it after adding a hot shower into the equation. Hot water always made him feel even drunker than he already was.

Katniss raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? Is that so? And what were you thinking?"

He gave her a flirtatious wink before kicking the towel behind him and striding confidently over to her. Katniss laughed as he grabbed her hips and pushed her against Mark's desk. Katniss looked down at the surface and laughed.

"This isn't your desk now, is it Peeta?" she chided him playfully, eying him warily.

He shook his head. "No. Turnabout's fair play," he shrugged, lifting her up onto the flat surface. She leaned back as he nudged the towel away, letting it fall to the side to reveal Katniss in all of her naked glory. Her smooth, olive skin was still sun-kissed in some places, and he could still see the faint tan lines from her bathing suit from camp. He grinned wickedly and reached behind him to open his closet door. He found the strip of condoms he was looking for and hurriedly tore one packet off with his teeth. Katniss laughed her throaty laugh and hooked her legs around his waist as she balanced on the edge of the desk.

"Is this something from your naughty book?" she asked with another laugh.

He drunkenly shrugged. "Perhaps it is," he answered as he rolled the condom onto himself.

She chewed her lip and watched as he did it, scooting closer to the edge of the desk. Peeta grabbed her legs as she reached down and guided him inside of her. He closed his eyes and groaned as her warm, velvety walls encased him. He thrust his hips forward to meet hers and he could hardly think straight. Katniss' heels dug into his back as she leaned back further on the desk, her torso flat against the surface. Her head was tucked up against the back of the desk against the wall as he moved against her. She let out a little sigh of contentment each time his hips met hers.

"Oh God…oh God," he groaned, temporarily losing himself in he feeling. A slight dizziness washed over him, making him pause and open his eyes. He winced and paused, shaking his head.

"Are you okay?" she panted, opening her eyes. "We can stop."

"No!" he gasped, thrusting forward again. "Fuck no. I'm never stopping. Oh…"

He resumed his movements, closing his eyes to revel in the feeling. This was a position he'd seen in the book, but he also wanted to try something else. In his reading he'd discovered that it said to change angles of penetration to enhance the woman's sensitivity. Figuring now was as good of a time as ever, he lifted his left leg and shifted his hips a bit to rotate them just the right way. Katniss keened in surprise and bliss, her mouth falling open as her legs gripped his waist.

"Oh my God! Yes! Right there! Oh…" she gasped.

Peeta was balancing on one leg as he rested his knee on the desk beside her ass. Fuck did this new angle feel amazing! He felt like he'd never been deeper inside of her as their bodies moved together. He groaned loudly and closed his eyes again, ignoring the second wave of dizziness. Katniss began to tremble beneath him, her body coaxing another wave of enjoyment from his as her walls contracted. It just felt so good…

He thrust harder against her to push her over the edge, but instead he was suddenly even dizzier. His eyes flew open just as his ankle gave way and his body went careening towards the floor. He landed on his knee with a loud crack as a pile of notebooks and papers came raining down on top of him. Katniss flew up in surprise, cracking her head on the corner of the shelf over his desk.

"Ow!"

"Shit!"

Peeta looked up as he grasped his throbbing knee. Katniss was naked on the edge of Mark's now disheveled desk, holding her head and wincing. Pain shot through his knee all the way down to the ankle he'd twisted when he'd fallen.

"Fuck…are you okay?" he asked, rubbing his leg.

She winced again and rubbed her head. "I think so…what the hell happened?"

He snorted. "I fell…and now I hurt."

She slowly slid off the desk and wrapped her towel around herself again as she knelt down to look at his ankle. Peeta glanced down and saw that both his ankle and knee were turning a dark shade of purple.

"Did I just fall on my ass?" he slurred. Everything suddenly hurt. His knee was throbbing, his ankle had a slicing pain through it, and his man bits stung with blue balls. His pride was a bit damaged as well.

"I think you did," she said slowly, looking around. "Can you make it to the futon?"

He stood with her help, wincing and trying not to die of humiliation. Dejectedly, he eased the condom off his member and tossed it in the trash with a grumpy growl. "We didn't even finish."

Katniss barked out a laugh as he eased himself onto the futon and covered himself with the towel. "Easy there cowboy, you might have sprained your ankle during sex. I think we can stick with one injury tonight and maybe…try it again in the morning," she laughed.

"How's your head?" he asked. "Did you hit it?"

Katniss winced and touched the back of her scalp. "I'll have a goose egg there tomorrow I think. Shit," she laughed. "We're quite the pair."

"Yeah…I can't believe I fell. Crap. How embarrassing," he winced.

She sat down next to him and handed him the phone. "How about we rest and order some pizza? Would that help heal your wounded ego and distract you from sex?"

He frowned and accepted the phone, shrugging. "I guess."

Maybe the Kama Sutra book wasn't the best idea he'd ever had.

He parked his car several days later and stood up with a grimace. The ankle brace the doctor had given him made things easier, but he was still a little stiff. He heard a snicker that made him look up.

Katniss stood in front of her dorm, her bags in her hand and a smirk on her face.

"You gonna live?" she asked.

Peeta hobbled over and took her bag from her before leading her to his car. "I think I might. I'm still trying to come up with a story to tell my parents though. Any bright ideas?"

She shrugged. "Just anything but the fact that you were trying to do a Kama sutra move and fell on your ass?"

"Naturally. I doubt my mother would love that."

"Nervous to see them again?"

"My dad no," he said, loading her bag into his trunk. "My mother will just want to grill me about you."

He opened the door for Katniss and helped her climb in. He was picking her up at school on his way home to drop her home first. When he'd called her cell phone that morning (and she'd actually used it) she had explained she had to wait until that evening to take a bus home. Her mother was working late and wouldn't be able to come pick her up, so she would have had to wait until almost nine at night to catch it. Peeta had volunteered to come and get her that morning instead.

"Thank you for doing this by the way," she said, sliding into the seat. He flashed her a smile before running around to his side and firing up the engine.

"No problem. That's what boyfriends are for."

He pulled out of her school's large parking lot and navigated them towards the highway. Their drive wouldn't be long, but he wanted to enjoy every single moment with Katniss that he could.

"What will your mom ask you about me?"

Peeta chuckled. "Anything and everything she can. You know – typical mom stuff."

"You can make me out to be witty, beautiful, and independently wealthy," she laughed, tossing her braid over her shoulder. Peeta just laughed and shook his head.

"She'd find something."

Katniss narrowed her eyes at him as he drove. "Will she be really hard on me if I go to your house for Christmas?"

"No," he said honestly. "She'll drill you sure, but she's not mean."

"Right," she hummed. He turned onto the highway and stepped on the gas, hoping he could believe his own words.

He dropped Katniss off at her house with Prim around noon. Prim was already out of school for a teacher's institute, so she was beyond excited to see Katniss so early.

Peeta jammed his hands in his pockets as he stood in the entryway of the small Everdeen home. He wasn't ready to go home to his parents' house just yet.

"You're stalling," she laughed, narrowing her eyes at him as she took her bag.

"Fine. My dad is still at work and I don't want to spend the afternoon being grilled by my mother without his protection. I'm a wussy, alright?"

Prim snorted and eyed her sister. "You don't like your mom?"

"I like her fine. She's just nosy. She wants to know all about Katniss."

Prim gave her sister a funny little look and giggled. "Then I guess Katniss has to go to your Christmas party then right?"

"Prim!" Katniss hissed. "I told you not to repeat that! We haven't been invited yet."

"It's fine," Peeta insisted.

Prim eyed him as they made their way into the living room. "Peeta are you limping?"

"How about we all go get lunch?" he asked quickly. "My treat. Anywhere you want to go."

Katniss gave Peeta an exasperated look at Prim jumped up and down and raced to grab her coat. "I call Chipoltle!" she hollered loudly.

"Good one," Katniss muttered. Peeta snickered.

They were seated at the local Chipoltle twenty minutes later, digging into their food. Prim was happily exploring her way through Katniss' new cell phone as she munched on her chips and salsa, and Katniss was still busy trying to pretend she didn't mind the way Peeta had paid for lunch.

"She wasn't supposed to say anything about the Christmas party," Katniss admitted, shooting her sister a glare.

"Whatever, I just want to go," Prim argued back.

"I'll talk to my mom this weekend. I just want to make sure she'll play nice."

Katniss wrinkled her nose at her and shook her head. "Fine. Just ask your parents….I'd like to meet them. You've met my mom, so…"

"Really?" he asked, sitting up. He stuffed the rest of his burrito in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. He'd love to parade Katniss around his family's Christmas party in a few months. He would show his stupid cousins that he could get a girl and maybe his brothers would shut up about him being a hopeless case when it came to women.

I can just picture Rye drooling over Katniss…he always liked brunettes. Hah. Sucker.

"You look way too smug about all this. What are you thinking?"

He wiped his hands on his napkin and gave her a bright smile. "My dad is all for it if you wanted to come stay with us for a few days and I'll talk to my mom this weekend. I think it's high time you made plans to meet the Mellarks, Everdeen."

Katniss gave him a skeptical smirk. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Plus, you'd look awesome in something red."


	26. Chapter 26

*NOTE* - the bold lettering are text messages between Katniss and Peeta.

Chapter 26th: October 13th

Peeta: Made it home. Already miss you and wish you were here.

Katniss: That's sweet. So sweet it made me a little sick.

Peeta: You know you love me Everdeen.

Katniss: I really do.

Peeta: So you do love me then?

Katniss: Don't you ever forget it!

Peeta slid his cell phone back into his pocket as his mother eyed him from across the counter. She was cooking his favorite thing for dinner – glazed pork tenderloin, a cheesy hash brown casserole, and fresh asparagus. His father would probably bring home his favorite sourdough rolls as well. His mouth watered as he thought of them. He had only been home an entire hour and she was already drilling him with questions he didn't particularly want to answer. However, if he had any hope of a home cooked meal that night he knew he needed to stay put and keep his head down.

His mother stirred the sauce on the stove and looked up at him. It was nice to be home, but without his father or brothers there he felt slightly cornered. She'd done nothing but ask him question after question since he'd walked through the door, but he was doing his best to remain calm. Soon his father would be home and would take the focus off of him and onto whatever wacky story he had to tell from customers at the bakery.

"Isn't it nice to be home? You should visit more often and not just when the dorms close," she chided him.

"I know but I really like being at school. Helps me stay focused," he added hopefully.

"I'm happy you're home. It's nice to have someone to cook for besides your father," she replied, checking the pork. The large, pristine white kitchen was spotless as usual and filling up with the smells that reminded him of home. The only thing missing was the smell of cupcakes or freshly baked bread.

"How did you say you hurt your ankle again?" she asked quizzically. Her pale, tight skin was drawn around her mouth and eyes as her usual worried look graced her sharp features. Peeta had gotten his strong jaw, straight nose and eyes from his father. He'd inherited his mother's blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Unfortunately though, he'd gotten his father's poor fibbing skills along with his other traits.

"Um…I was playing a pickup game with some of the guys. Kinda…twisted it wrong," he coughed. "So uh…when's dinner?"

Her mouth pressed into a thin line. "Always so worried about food. Some things never change," she jabbed, eying his waistline. Peeta looked down at his twisted hands on the countertop and tried not to let childhood memories come flooding back to him. He'd always been the pudgy one with chipmunk cheeks and a few extra rolls around his waistline. Puberty had helped that, but college and his taste for carbs and beer sometimes made his mother take a jab or two while he was home on break.

"It's just that the cooking in the cafeterias at school is awful. It's nice to come home and have a home cooked meal. Especially one that's so good."

Her hard face softened slightly. "Well…..I suppose you didn't just get so pudgy when you were little from your father's cooking. I suppose my special touch was often to blame," she sniffed. She peeked into the oven long enough for Peeta to whip out his phone and look at it. Alone and under the wrath of his mother, he suddenly missed Katniss the most.

Peeta: Can I come live at your house

Katniss: You haven't even been there an hour

Peeta: I know : (

Katniss: Hold on. It's only 5 days. I love you

She slammed the oven door shut, making him jump at his place seated at the counter. Their large, spacious white kitchen seemed to grow slightly smaller as his mother stared him down.

"How are your grades? Midterms come out yet?"

He gulped. "All accept for one. Business math is kinda killing me right now but…"

His mother nodded. "Have you seen a tutor?"

"N-no, but I joined a study group."

"I see," she sighed. "I suppose you still have time to get those up."

"Yeah…"

"Straight As would really look nice on your transcript, especially with this being your junior year, it's a tough year so if you could manage to pull-"

"I know mom, I'll try. I really will."

She eyed him again. "Your father tells me you have a girlfriend. Is this the same girl from camp?"

"Yes. Katniss," he stuttered nervously. He silently hoped his father hadn't been running his mouth too much. "She's the same girl from camp. She lives about an hour from here."

"Hmmm," she hummed, wiping her hands on her apron. "If she lives so far away then when do you see her? Doesn't sound like much of a relationship to me."

"Well…she's come to visit me a few times."

His mother pursed her lips. "I hope she found other sleeping arrangements while she's there? It's quite improper for you to be shacking up with someone you're not married to."

"Mom, I'm in college…"

"Peeta, I just want you to be respectable. And not get yourself into some bad predicament."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, growing quickly defensive. His mother needed to settle down. He was a grown man and twenty two – he would do whatever he wanted to do. He knew he should still be respectful and hold his tongue while she paid for his education, but he could only take so much; especially when she was talking about Katniss. His grit his teeth and tried his best to keep a pleasant look on his face despite the blood boiling beneath his skin.

"Are we ever going to meet her?"

He shrugged in an attempt to be nonchalant. "I suppose…yeah. I mean…I was going to talk to you guys about that this weekend actually."

She cocked an eyebrow in interest and nodded. "Well go on then."

"I'll wait for dad too," he mumbled, leaning back against the chair. She gave him a stiff nod and moved to the stove to stir one of the contents of a pot. They sat in an awkward, tense silence until the door from the garage opened and his father stepped in.

Peeta ran to his dad and embraced him tightly while silently wondering how his patient and sometimes goofy father dealt with his high strung mother all the time. His parents had been married for almost twenty seven years but he still couldn't understand how. While his father was the definition of laid back and a jokester, his mother was a play-by-the-rules, worry about everything type of person who let potentially anything bother her. He just didn't get it.

They settled down to dinner after some small talk, Peeta scarfing up the home cooked meal and ignoring his mother's looks. The table felt somewhat empty without his two older brothers, but he would take it. Bannock and Rye usually spent more of their time ribbing him about one thing or another, so it was nice to have his parents to himself for once. His mother cleared her throat and picked at the meal, commenting on what she should have done better, but he didn't pay any attention. He could tell she was biting back a comment or two about how much food he was inhaling, but he didn't care for once. It was actually quite nice to be able to eat something that hadn't been heated up in a microwave or come out of a box. He happily told his dad about his midterm grades as they ate, mentioning pointedly in his mother's direction that he was on track to make the Dean's List.

"That's awesome buddy! Way to go. But tell me…what's your lady up to this weekend?"

Peeta wiped his mouth and couldn't help but grin as Katniss' name was brought up. "She's just hanging out with her little sister, Primrose. Prim, as we all call her."

"Her parents aren't around?" his mother interjected. "She's unsupervised?"

Peeta frowned. "Mom, she's twenty two, just like me. Besides, her mom is a nurse and works all the time to support them. Prim is in high school so it's not like she's a baby."

"Where's her father?"

Peeta's mouth pressed into a thin line. "Deceased," and left it at that. His mother looked away and toyed with the edge of her napkin as she twisted her mouth.

His father patted his shoulder. "All the more reason she needs a good guy like you Peet. No wonder she's so crazy about you."

"You couldn't possibly know that – you've never even seen them together!" his mother laughed.

Peeta watched with a smirk as his father reached over and poured her more wine from the bottle sitting in the middle of the table. Wine usually helped diffuse tense situations in their household.

"I bet Peet's a charmer. Just like his old man," he said, winking at her. She rolled her eyes and took a long sip as Peeta's dad nodded at him. "So when do we get to meet her?"

"Well uh," Peeta coughed, "that's what I was um…hoping to talk to you guys about. Would you have a problem with Katniss coming over maybe Christmas day?"

"Christmas day?" his mother scoffed. "Shouldn't she be with her family?"

"Well…that's just it. Her mom is going to be working for the overtime and it's just her and Prim. They do their Christmas on Christmas Eve, so…I just thought it would be nice to maybe invite her over so that they could come to the party and just…you know, have something to do. Be with a family, even if it's not their family. Shouldn't people you know…reach out during the holidays?"

"That sounds like a good idea buddy. The more the merrier!"

"We need to talk about this first," his mother hissed, her blue eyes wide. "How do we know they'll even still be dating at Christmas? Peeta honey that's almost two months from now! You're in college…you change, things change…"

"She's not going to break up with me if that's what you're thinking," he replied flatly, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "This is different. We're serious mom."

"I think it would be alright. I want to meet the girl you spend so much time with son," his father said. "She sounds great. Is she hot?"

Peeta laughed and his mother shrieked and tossed her napkin at his father. They chuckled together and Peeta gave her a pleading look from across the table.

"It would mean a lot. She really wants to meet you guys too. It would mean a lot to her to get to spend a holiday with us. And…and well…I want her here. She's important mom. Really important."

"Well," she sighed, "We'll see."

Peeta: I think Christmas is a go

Katniss: What do you mean?

Peeta: Want to meet Mommy Mellark? She wants to meet you

Katniss: I dunno….

Peeta: I want you to meet my family. This is important to me.

Katniss: Seriously

Peeta: Yes. You're my world now and I want to share every part of it with you. The good and the bad

Katniss: UR a sap

Peeta: I know. But you love me.

Katniss: I do love you. Ok. If they want me there, I'll come.

Peeta: I want you here

Peeta didn't hate cars.

He didn't particularly like them either.

But, working on the Mustang had always been his thing with his dad. His older brothers didn't care for cars either, but that was part of the appeal for him; his brothers never wanted anything to do with it so that was Peeta's time with his dad. Being the baby of the family had a lot of disadvantages – there weren't as many pictures of him around the house, he had to fight for attention, and he usually ended up losing at whatever competitive macho thing his older brothers were into at the time. He was the runt (although lately not by much) and had lived in his older brothers shadows most of his life. So when his father had brought the old car home for them to restore and Rye and Bannock had turned up their noses, Peeta jumped at the chance. Working on cars had always been his thing with his dad. In junior high and high school they had spent countless hours together in the garage working on the silly thing although they were mainly just talking and avoiding his mother and his homework. It was his time with his father that he treasured the most. If he had to do it in the cold garage drinking cheap beer, he would do it.

He walked out into the garage after dinner and grinned as his father handed him a cold beer.

"Don't tell you mother. Cheers, Peet."

"Dad, I'm twenty two," he laughed. "I've been able to legally consume and purchase alcohol for almost a year and a half but…thanks."

His father tore another beer from the six pack and returned it to the refrigerator in the corner of the garage. "I know. I forget you're growing up," he sighed, shaking his head. "I forget my Peeta is almost a man now. I can't believe you're over halfway done with college."

"Yeah, well…" Peeta laughed, settling onto his old stool. It was creaky, rusted and lacking any sort of padding, but he'd spent hours on the same stool just listening to his father talk to him as he worked on the Mustang. Much to his mother's bitter chagrin, the stripped down mess of a car took up the third stall of their garage. It was covered by a tarp most of the year and leaked oil on the floors, but Peeta's dad somehow managed to convince her to let him keep it there.

Peeta propped his leg up on his knee as his father leaned against the work bench. The brace he'd been given made his ankle somewhat stiff after wear all day.

"How's the leg?"

"Good. Stiff."

"Maybe a soak in the hot tub later? I can fire the old bad boy up for you."

"Maybe," Peeta shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

"What happened again?"

"Um…basketball. Listen, do you think you could put in a good word with mom about Christmas? It would really mean a lot if Katniss could come spend some time here."

"Sure thing buddy. I can do that. I want to meet this lady that's been keepin my boy so happy."

"Thanks dad. I would really like you to meet her. Katniss is…special."

His father was the sentimental one in the family, just like Peeta. He nodded and sipped his beer. "Do you uh…think you love her?"

Peeta nodded. "I know I do," he said quickly. He felt his cheeks grow a little hot. "How did you know you loved mom? I mean…how did you know she was the one?"

His father sipped his beer again and thought a moment, fiddling with the tab on the top of the can. "I guess…well, we broke up for a while shortly after graduation. You didn't hear this from me, by the way. It was a mutual thing. We'd dated for so long that we'd forgotten what it was like to be with other people. We didn't talk really…almost six months. I think we just wanted to see what it was like to be with other people."

"And?"

"And it wasn't that great. Your mother is tough to take sometimes – I realize that. But she's my driving force and the reason I want to do things the best that I can do. Things weren't the same when she wasn't with me. She makes me better, but a strong woman will do that."

"I never knew you guys broke up," Peeta admitted. "Was it hard?"

"Hard but necessary. I just appreciated her that much more when we ran into each other a one night. We just had this moment where…I saw her and everything made sense again. We grew up a lot during that six months and…I guess in a way we grew back together. Fate," he said firmly. "Well…that and we were a little uh…overzealous in our reunion efforts, because soon after that we found out Rye was on the way. We kinda had to get married then."

Peeta burst out laughing. "You never told me that!"

"We were married in July, not September," he admitted. "But don't ever tell your mother I told you that. She'd have my head on a platter if she knew you found out."

"Wow," Peeta chuckled, shaking his head.

"Yeah. But it was meant to be. I knew I belonged with her after that and we've just…been together ever since. She's what I need to be good, Peeta. Not a lot of other people would need her the way I do. But I do and she loves me for some reason and…that's all I've ever needed."

"Wow dad that's awesome. I get it now. I mean...I love her too but she can be…a lot sometimes," he admitted.

"That she can, son."

"She was grilling me about Katniss earlier. If I bring her around will you make sure mom is at least like…nice?"

His father sipped his beer again and tried not to laugh. "I'll do my best. But your mother is just overprotective of you. You're her baby –she just wants to make sure Katniss is the right girl for you, that's all. Take what she says with a grain of salt."

"Right, well….I just don't want her to scare her off. Katniss is…special."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Peeta nodded, avoiding his father's gaze. "I love her and I think I want to marry her someday."

Peeta's father clapped him on the back. "Good for you, Peet. You need a good girl in your life. Katniss sounds amazing and I can't wait to meet her. Although she'd have to be amazing to be your girl."

Peeta smiled to himself and felt a little better. His father always knew what to say to make him feel on top of the world again after his mother had torn him down a bit. His father had always made him feel like anything he did was great; it was like he was his own personal cheerleader.

"Thanks dad. That means a lot."

His father chuckled and nodded, but suddenly furrowed his dark brow. "Now Peet um….I know you love her so I have to ask: are you taking…precautions?"

Peeta's face was instantly in flames. He and his father had always been very open with each other, but not quite this open. He stuttered for a moment and gripped his beer. "Dad!"

"I'm just asking Peet! I don't want you to end up in the same situation as your mother and me…we love Rye, but…you know sometimes-"

"Yes, dad, yes," he stammered. "Things are…fine."

"Are things…alright in that department?"

Peeta looked anywhere but at his father as his face burned and his heart started pounding. He was not about to talk to his father about his sex life – no way!

"Dad, things are…more than fine there. We're….we're good, trust me."

Peeta: My dad just tried to give me a sex talk

Katniss: YOURE KIDDING ME

Peeta: I wish I was. It was very awkward. And I don't think he buys my 'I fell playing basketball story'.

Katniss: Yeah but that doesn't mean he automatically assumes it's a sex injury

Peeta: God I hope not

Katniss: So did he give you any tips?

Peeta: GROSS

Katniss: So that's a no?

Peeta: Shut it, Everdeen. What are you doing

Katniss: Sitting here with Prim. We went on a hike today and now we're watching a movie on the couch

Peeta: I wish I was there.

Katniss: It's pretty boring stuff. She showed me how to use the camera on my phone today

Peeta: So you can send me a tit pic?

Katniss: !

Peeta: Kidding, kidding…sorta ; )

Katniss: :(

Peeta: Sorry! I miss your boobies. They're perfect.

Katniss: You're sweet.

Peeta: Soooo…tit pic?

Katniss: Peeta!

Peeta: Sorry, sorry. I just miss you. And your boobies. But mostly you.

Katniss: How touching.

Peeta: Speaking of touching…

Katniss: You are hopeless.

Peeta: So no tit pic?

Katniss: Peeta. This 'tit pic' is NOT going to happen. Give it up.

Peeta: I know. But I do miss you.

Katniss: I miss you too


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: October 15th

(Peeta)

"I feel bad leavin' ya behind kid. You sure you don't wanna go to the barbeque at Ted's house? The casa de Ted? Ted-meister?" his father asked. "We can toss some shrimp on tha bah-biiii!"

Peeta looked up from the television screen and sipped his bottle of beer as he tried not to laugh at his father's antics. His mother made a face – she'd never approved of him drinking at home – and zipped up her fleece jacket.

"Nah dad, I'm fine here. Just gonna hang out and watch the game, ya know…kinda veg out."

His father wrinkled his nose and looked at him like he'd like to join him.

"Nonsense, he'll be fine. He gets one weekend to relax before going back to school and raising his grade in math to an 'A'….isn't that right Peeta?" his mother asked.

He nodded and put on his best 'obedient son' face. His father winked at him over her shoulder and shook his head. "He'll do fine this semester. A man can do anything with the support of a good woman behind him," he said, puckering up to Peeta's mother.

She waved him off and shook her blonde head. "Will you just come on? We don't want to be late. Be sure to grab that dish I'm bringing…"

Peeta's mother disappeared into the garage as his father just stood in the doorway. "She's right. The sooner we can get some booze into her the better."

Peeta snickered.

"You sure you didn't want to go?"

Peeta shook his head. He'd had two and a half days with his mother's nagging and questions and he was more than ready to take a break and just do nothing for a while. "Nah, I think I'm gonna hang out here. Relax."

"I don't blame ya. Got your game, got your brewsky. I left a twenty on the counter so you can order a pizza okay buddy?" his dad asked.

Peeta grinned at his father and nodded. "You're the best pops. Have fun tonight."

"You too kid. Love ya. Don't stay up too late."

He frowned and waved at his father. "Like you'll be out so late? Mom will want to be home by ten. If you're lucky."

"Nah, she gets into Susan's margaritas and lets loose. We might be cab'n it home tonight!" his father laughed.

"Riiight," Peeta snorted. "Good luck with that."

His dad gave him an 'air five' before closing the door to the garage. Peeta sipped his beer and shook his head. His father was such a goofy cut up that he wondered sometimes how on earth he ended up with his mother. He loved his mom as any son would, but he just didn't get why she was so uptight sometimes. She had everything needed to be happy; Peeta didn't understand why she couldn't just be happy. He watched a few more minutes of the game on the television in front of him and cracked open another beer. The large house was awfully quiet, he thought. He wondered what Katniss was up to.

He slid his phone out of his pocket and settled onto the oversized couch.

Peeta: I miss you. What are you doing?

His phone buzzed a few minutes later.

Katniss: Sitting in my room. Writing in my journal.

Peeta: You alone?

Katniss: yes. Prim is at Rorys til 11. Mom at work.

Peeta: Are you writing about how sexy I am

Katniss: Kinda.

Peeta: Do tell.

Katniss: It's my journal, not a newspaper. Mind your beeswax.

Peeta: Fine. Tit pic?

Katniss: PEETA

Peeta: Okay, okay. I get it. No tit pic.

Figuring she wanted to be left alone, he picked up the house phone and dialed the pizza place. He opened a fresh beer and took a swig, lingering in the kitchen for a few minutes while he waited. It was always nice to come home. As much as he loved college it was always nice to come back to their nice house and relax with his family. His brothers would probably come over the next night for dinner since it was his last night home until Thanksgiving, and for once he was actually looking forward to seeing them. Being the baby of the family had given Peeta more than a few years of practice with his older brothers. They used to give him hell when he was young and they still did in a way, however, now that he was older they had a bit more fun together than they used to. Instead of getting picked on and teased, they took him out to bars and begged women to buy shots for their baby brother.

His eyes scanned over the dozens of family portraits they'd taken over the years – they lined the countertops and walls, each picture with the Mellark family in varying shades of white or denim, depending on the year. As a slightly chubby little kid, Peeta had always begged his parents to let him be in the back of the family line up, however, being the shortest and relatively dwarfed next to his two older brothers meant he always went in the front. There he was in every family photo; grinning through his dental dilemmas, bad buzzcuts and frosted hair. He winced as he surveyed his crooked buck teeth and double chin. He didn't miss that Peeta.

He sighed and walked into the ornate white living room off the kitchen, his eyes scanning over another photo he was missing from. Frowning, he picked it up and tried to guess where he'd been that year. Rye looked like he was in his first or second year of high school and Bannock still had his braces, so….

"Oh…" he sighed, remembering. He'd been at fat camp that summer and had missed family photos. Camp Hope it was called. Thankfully it was nothing like Camp Panem. He'd had a miserable summer full of humiliating weigh ins, sneaking candy, and ten miles hikes into the wilderness. At a pudgy nine years old, Peeta hadn't been thrilled his parents had tricked him into the whole thing. They'd dropped him off and he'd nearly had a heart attack at the sight of the suspicious looking camp title hanging over the entrance of the grounds.

His pizza was soon delivered and he took it back to the couch to devour. "Old habits die hard," he muttered to himself, attacking the first slice. He checked his phone and sighed, wondering what Katniss was up to now. Surely she wasn't still writing in her diary, right?

He thought back to what the counselors at Camp Hope had looked like – certainly nothing like Katniss. He had bossy girls that reminded him of Glimmer and Clove instead – they spent the summer cheering him to run faster in their annoying, high pitched voices. Swallowing another mouthful of beer, he had to bite back a laugh at the thought of someone like Katniss being his counselor back then. Even at nine years old he wasn't sure he would have been able to keep his thoughts 'friendly' with someone that looked like her. He pictured himself at that age lusting after an unattainable Katniss and was silently thankful they were the same age.

He'd been finished with his food for almost an hour and was on his fifth beer when his phone chirped beside him. Feeling slightly buzzed, he picked it up and grinned.

It was a picture of Katniss' boobs – covered, of course, but it was still her boobs. He could see the top of her cleavage in a hunter green tank top with her bedroom in the background.

Peeta: That's what I'm talkin bout

Katniss: You never saw that

Peeta: I'm putting it directly into my spank bank

Katniss: Ur nasty h

Peeta: You like it

Katniss: What are you doing

Peeta: Watching the game with beers. Thinkin bout you.

Katniss: Oh yeah? What about me? Something bad I hope.

Peeta put his phone down and shifted on the couch, grinning to himself as more and more dirty thoughts infiltrated his mind. He'd had more than one raunchy thought about his girlfriend while he was home but hadn't had the time or the privacy to do anything about it. Now at the first sign of her talking even remotely dirty to him had his cock twitching in his basketball shorts. He took a long drag of his beer and set it on the coffee table before clapping his hands together giddily.

Peeta: I miss your body. I want to feel it.

Katniss: Feel it how?

Peeta: I want to touch you all over. Skin on skin.

Katniss: Where do you want to touch me? Tell me.

Peeta: I want to peel off all ur clothes and run my hands from your fingertips to your toes n everywhere in-between

Katniss: Sounds like fun ; )

Peeta: You kno it ; )

Katniss: I was writing in my journal about camp and all the things we did there

Peeta: Like what

Katniss: I was thinkin bout the time you went down on me under that skirt

Peeta: The denim one. I love that skirt.

Katniss: Yeah? I hate it. It's too short and tight

Peeta: Y do you think I luv it so much?

Katniss: Oh. Right. Well I was thinking about that night

Peeta: Now you have me thinking about it too

Katniss: I literally saw stars on that lawn ; )

Peeta: I miss the way you taste. And the way you feel against my mouth

Katniss: Wow.

Peeta: What?

Katniss: I can hardly look at that text without blushing

Peeta: I miss you. So much. Peeta Jr. does too

Katniss: Oh?

Peeta: Yea. He's definitely missing you right now

Peeta put his phone down and took another long drag off his beer bottle. His parents weren't due home for another hour or so, making the entire situation almost too much to handle. He shifted on the couch and adjusted himself against his basketball shorts and winced at how hard he already was. He was more than willing to take care of his situation himself, but he desperately missed her touch. He palmed himself through his shorts and picked his phone back up as the familiar horny itch settled into his bones.

Peeta: Do you miss me?

Katniss: U know I do

Peeta: what do you intend to do about it

Katniss: Are u being suggestive?

Peeta: Maybe ; )

Peeta: Will you get in your bed for me?

Katniss: yea

Katniss: what's in it for me? ; )

Peeta: Ill show u mine if u show me urs : )

Katniss: !

Peeta: ?

Katniss: You are killin me

Peeta: I don't wanna do that…I want to make you as horny as I am

Katniss: No one said I wasn't

Peeta: Yeah?

Katniss: maybe

Peeta: I wish I was there

Katniss: If u were here I'd be in trouble

Peeta: Not if I was sneaky.

Katniss: Oh yeah? Do tell

Peeta: I could sneak into your house through the back patio

Katniss: What if Prim was home?

Peeta: She isn't tho

Katniss: I know but what if she was

Peeta: I'd sneak upstairs and come into your room

Katniss: My door doesn't lock

Peeta: We would put a dresser in front of it.

Katniss: lol

Peeta: Then I would pin you to the bed…are you in your bed yet?

Katniss: maybe

Peeta : Pic?

He waited a minute before a picture of Katniss came through. She was on her back on her beige sheets, her mahogany hair fanned out around her face. The green tank top had ridden up enough to expose the line of her stomach over the top of her pajama pants. He felt himself twitch again and he panted slightly. This was going a lot further than he had thought it would but he certainly wasn't complaining. Katniss was usually so reserved – not that it was a bad thing, but he had to take her moods in stride and just roll with them. If she wanted to play dirty, well…then he would play dirty.

Katniss: There. I'm on my bed. We can make believe the door is locked ; )

Peeta: Good. God I miss u

Peeta: you look really sexy. And ur tits look great

Katniss: Peeta!

Peeta: What? They do. I want to lick them

Katniss: ok reading that def made me um….antsy

Peeta: Antsy? U mean horny babe. Ur horny for me

Katniss: Whatever. Fine. I'm horny.

Peeta: Yeah? You like my mouth on you?

Katniss: U know I do

Katniss: So tell me more about what you would do now that the door is 'locked'

Peeta: LOL

Peeta: I'd pin you to the bed and strip off that little tank top. The bra too

Katniss: Not wearing one big boy

Peeta: That is hot as fuck

Peeta: Anyway lol

Peeta: I'd strip that off and put my mouth on you. I'd drive you crazy

Peeta: Pull you in my lap and just make you moan with my mouth on u

Peeta: You'd have to cover ur mouth to keep from screaming

Katniss: Wow, you have given this some thought

Peeta: All day every day

Katniss: LOL

Peeta: Oh you know you think about it too

Katniss: I'll admit I have

Peeta: PRolly not in the same context I have

Katniss: have you touched yourself and thought of me while u have been home?

Peeta: Wanted to. No privacy here lol

Katniss: Because I have def thought of YOU and done that

Peeta: Ur joking

Katniss: Nope ; )

Peeta put his phone down and shook his head. Katniss was killing him with all this sexy talk – he wasn't sure he could resist the urge to just touch himself right then and there. He looked at the clock again. He had maybe an hour left before his parents would return, and that was if they came back at the absolute earliest. Mind made up, he swiped his phone and beer and headed up to the bedroom. He closed his door and locked it, double checking that the blinds were closed. Settling himself on his bed, he picked up his phone and sheepishly stuck his hand down his shorts.

Peeta: I had to move to my room, this was getting too hot ; )

Katniss: Oh yeah? What are you doing in your room?

Peeta: You really want to know? I feel like a perv

Katniss: u are a perv. Tell me. maybe im doing the same thing

Katniss: You owe me a pic btw

Peeta: A pic of what

Katniss: Dealers choice

Peeta sat up in his bed and glanced down at the thin basketball shorts he was donning. Taking his phone, he quickly snapped a picture of the covered bulge in his pants and chuckled to himself. He hit 'send' and waited for her response.

Katniss: WOW.

Peeta: Yeah? You like that?

Katniss: Perhaps. It looks extra big. Or maybe I Just miss u. What are you gonna do about that?

Peeta: I might be giving Peeta Jr. some attention

Katniss: Yeah? Tell me more about what you'd do if you were here

Peeta: I'd definitely need to touch you by now.

Katniss: where

Peeta: you know where

Katniss: since ur not here I'll do it for you ; )

Peeta: r u seriously touching yourself right now please god

Peeta: I will die happy just thinking about you touching yourself.

Katniss: yes

Peeta: I am too

Peeta: I wish I was there. I want to touch u so bad

Peeta: you r the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on

Peeta: or touched

Peeta: fuck I love feeling u come undone against my hand

Peeta: You get so wet for me I want to come just thinking about it

Katniss: Holy shit

Peeta: What?

Katniss: I just wish u were here Peeta

Katniss: I want your hands on me not my own : (

Peeta: Me too baby

Peeta gripped himself and closed his eyes, trying his best to picture anything but his current scenario; locked in his bedroom, alone with his only company a half drained beer. He sucked in a breath and tried to imagine being in Katniss' childhood bedroom, the dresser pressed against the door and her in his lap.

In his mind's eye, he slid his hand down into her soft pajama bottoms and tried to imagine how wet she was. He tried his best to picture running his hand against her center, feeling her heat between her legs. He imagined she'd be damp there from being so wet and turned on.

He finally gave up and shoved his shorts down around his knees, leaning back on his bed. He didn't even care anymore that his parents might come home at any second. Groaning, he first teased his sensitive sac and tried to picture it was small, soft hands and not his own callused ones.

Katniss would reach down between their bodies and touch him, running a feather light touch up and down his shaft.

He moaned and fisted the sheets with his free hand.

Her soft touch always made him wild with desire. He pictured taking her bottom lip and sucking it between his teeth, nipping at it lightly.

He grunted and gripped himself harder, increasing his pace. His phone buzzed beside him but he couldn't bear to open his eyes and ruin this exquisite daydream. The Katniss from his little dirty fantasy was doing a much better job than he could ever do on his own.

He continued his little fantasy by ripping her pants down the middle (something he knew he wouldn't dare do but had always secretly wished about) and shoved her underwear to the side before plunging himself into her.

He felt his balls tighten at the thought of entering her skin on skin. It was such a forbidden thing that it only made him harder to picture actually doing it. With a grunt he picked up the pace of his hand and returned to his mind.

Katniss was on top of him, riding him skin on skin as he covered her mouth to keep her from screaming. As her walls clenched around his member, she opened her silver eyes and stared at him in awe as she came. Her center felt like hot silk encasing him from tip to base as she rode him. Her hot breaths against his cheeks came out in little pants of ecstasy as she gripped him with her pelvic muscles and coaxed his own orgasm out of him.

Peeta groaned out loud as he came on his stomach, the hot liquid bringing him back to reality. He leaned back on the pillow and stared up at the white ceiling still swimming in his erotic thoughts.

"Fuck," he muttered, disappointment flavoring his once sensual thoughts. He was alone and not in the company of his grey eyed beauty with the strong, talented hands and wildflower scent. She'd never felt so far away.

Katniss: Peeta? I don't even want to know lol

Peeta: Sorry. I totally came just thinking about you

Peeta: How sexy u are and how much I miss you

Katniss: It's ok. I did too : )

Peeta flew down Katniss' street, the autumn leaves flying up around his car as he drove. Fall break was finally over and he was headed to her house to take her back to school. She had to be back by a certain time for a study group and he wanted to beat Mark back, so they wouldn't have much time other than the drive there to be together. He wasn't sure when their next weekend together would be, so he was hoping to spend some time talking with her in the car.

He pulled into the Everdeen driveway and hopped out, bouncing up the steps. Katniss met him at the door, her hair in a messy braid and her grey eyes wide. He grinned and wasted no time sweeping her into a deep, lingering kiss. He groaned against her mouth as she froze in his arms and exhaled sharply through her nose.

He released her and gave her a satisfied grin that quickly faded when he saw how pale her face was.

"What's wrong?"

She stared at him for a second before rambling, "Prim asked me what a 'spank bank' was – shesawmyphone!" Katniss hissed in practically one syllable. Peeta's jaw dropped open and his stomach felt like it was going to suddenly fall out of his butt.

"What the fuck?"

"I know! I know I know, what the actual fuck," she muttered, pulling him out onto the front porch. Her eyes were wide as she stood in front of him with her arms wrapped around her stomach. "I mean….she said she just picked it up and that text conversation from you was open but Peeta ohmigod…"

Peeta leaned against the railing of the porch and tried to collect himself. Prim was in high school – surely she knew that people sent dirty texts, but how inappropriate were they? His cheeks flamed when he realized his girlfriend's little sister had most likely seen the picture of the bulge in his pants he'd sent her. He groaned and felt like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. Prim had read their sexting.

Please kill me now.

"Do you know for sure how much she saw?"

"No," Katniss replied shakily. "Will you wait out here while I go talk to her?"

He nodded, red-faced and shaking as he went back to his car. He slammed the door behind him and revved up the heat, trying his best to remain calm. Prim was mature for her age – she wouldn't make a big deal of this, right? He groaned and leaned forward, banging his head on the steering wheel. Who was he kidding? He would never be able to look his girlfriend's little sister in the eye ever again, that was for damn sure.

"If it's not one thing, it's another."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter28: October 20th

(Katniss)

Katniss leaned back in her desk chair and held her shiny new iPhone to her ear as Peeta chattered nervously on the other line. Since dropping her back off at school on Sunday he'd been a nervous wreck thinking he wouldn't be able to ever look Prim in the eye again. They'd talked every day since then as Peeta was still panicked that he'd scarred her little sister for life.

"It's fine Peeta, I swear. She's a big girl. She's a sophomore in high school – she knows about sex."

"Yeah but…does she think I'm... I'm …some kind of pervert or something?"

"No, why?"

"Well….I totally sent you a picture of my junk, that's why."

"It was covered. You had shorts on; it was really just your…bulge."

"Oh my god," Peeta groaned on the other end of the line. "I can't believe I did that. Maybe tell her I was drunk…no, that doesn't sound good either."

She sighed and picked up a pen as Peeta moaned and groaned miserably on the other end of the line. "I'm humiliated that she read that. I'm never gonna live this down. She won't tell your mother that I'm some kind of deviant, will she?"

"Peeta," Katniss said sternly, "No. Prim knows that you're a normal, horny college guy. She's very smart for her age and…well, before I left for college I sat her down and gave her a very useful very blunt sex talk that I wish someone would have given me and…I think she's fine. She knows about sex and that-"

"Wait, does she know we are having sex?"

Katniss shrugged. "She knows that if I am having sex that I'm doing it safely. Minus the mishap we had, obviously…."

"Right. But…she knows I'm not like…weird for texting you like that?"

"I doubt it. I promised her that I would be honest with her about things like that and I always have. That's what's important. She's fifteen Peeta, not a baby. This will blow over and honestly…I'd be shocked if she ever brought it up again. I don't think she meant to see it if she even did see it and….she's a big girl Peeta."

"I know, I just….I'm embarrassed."

"So I am," she laughed. "This will pass, I promise."

"You're so wise. I wish I had an older sister like you and not the ass clowns that are my older brothers. Those assholes were useless growing up."

She leaned back in her desk chair and momentarily missed winding the phone cord around her fingers as she smirked at his words. "You wish I was your sister? You might want to rethink that one Mellark."

"Yeah, sorry. I definitely don't want you to be my sister, you're right. Ulgh, this just gets worse and worse…"

"Peeta….let it go. I'm sure she already has."

"Fine, fine…what are you doing this weekend?"

She sighed, looking around her lonely dorm room. "Homework."

"Sounds thrilling. Same here though. Mark is here this weekend and part of next. Lucky me."

Katniss heaved a sigh as she looked over at her calendar. "So what do you want to do next weekend then?"

"He's here Friday but gone Saturday. Can you survive one night with him in the room? Cassie might be here too."

She snorted. "I'm game."

"Cocky cocky, Miss Everdeen…"

"Yeah, well….I can handle her. I'm not willing to give up a night with you just because she's there."

"That's my girl."

"Yeah well…"

"I might get some sort of quiet glee by rubbing how hot you are in her face."

"You wounded little thing," Katniss deadpanned.

"I miss you. I deleted that pic you sent me last weekend-"

"Good!"

"I wish I hadn't," he said slowly, his voice taking on a sultry tone on the other end of the line. Katniss chewed her bottom lip and bit back a smile as Peeta's sexy voice came out. Spending a lot of time apart meant that they didn't always get to enjoy the physical aspect of their relationship as much. In turn, they spent a great amount of time talking about their physical relationship.

"I miss being able to sneak up behind you and just grab you…"

"Peeta," she laughed, biting back a giggle. She'd never labeled herself much of a 'giggler' before, but sometimes when he said such raunchy, unexpected things she wasn't always able to stop herself.

"No, seriously. I miss being at camp and being able to sneak you off to some dark corner and just…" he sighed miserably into the phone as she listened. "God we had some hot sex last summer. I mean we still do, I just-"

"No, I know what you mean. We almost got caught fooling around like ten times."

"That kinda adds to it though. Makes it naughtier."

She laughed. "Riiiight. But you're right…it was hot."

"I'm only looking forward to more practice Miss Everdeen."

"Practice, hmmm? Like what?"

"Well, I think if we got really good at it we could eventually finish at the same time."

"You're serious? I thought that only happened in ridiculous books and chick flicks."

"Is it a crime to want to test fate?" he joked.

She raised an eyebrow as she thought back to her summer before senior year of high school. She'd bitten the bullet and started checking out a few tawdry romance novels at the local library. She's earned a few curious looks from the dowdy old librarian that summer, but she'd also satisfied her curious need for something steamy to read on the hot summer nights. She used to sit out on the back porch with a flashlight for hours in her nightgown, reading in the cover of the cool night while the crickets sang. Most of the books detailed at least one romp per chapter where the main characters 'came together' in in a sweaty fit of passion-filled bliss. Katniss was basically just happy to have a boyfriend that seemed to care a lot about getting her off and making sure she was satisfied. She didn't particularly care whether or not they came at the same time.

"Does that really like…happen a lot?"

She could imagine Peeta shrugging. "I hope it does. I mean, I've never…well obviously I don't know firsthand but…it would be cool."

She snorted as she stood up and walked over to her mini fridge to pull out a bottle of water. An old bottle of cheap wine she had in the door slid out, almost falling onto the floor. "Shit."

Peeta laughed. "Are you picturing it? 'Shit' is right."

"No, I was….I almost dropped a bottle of wine when I reached in to get my water."

"You keep wine in your fridge?"

Katniss shrugged and sat down on her bed. "Sometimes I need a drink after an exam or something, sure."

"You should drink some of it and send me another one of those naughty pictures…" he said hopefully.

"Um, no."

"Awww," he groaned. "Please?"

"Peeta…I miss you but no. I'm not getting drunk and sending you a tit pic every weekend."

"I miss you too. But we'll figure something out. I can only let myself get so horny before…"

"I know. Same here. Eventually I'll have to…"

"Do what?" he asked eagerly.

"Nothing. I just…never mind," she stuttered nervously. Peeta snorted. "You could, you know."

"I could what?"

"You know…relieve it."

"Masturbate?"

He snorted. "Well…yeah. I was going to use a less technical term but…. I mean…do you do that a lot?"

Katniss frowned. Sure she would occasionally do that before falling asleep sometimes when she missed Peeta, but she didn't make a big deal about it and she especially didn't want to talk about it. She hadn't meant to insinuate that she would eventually have to take care of her needs herself. It was one of the unspoken pitfalls of having a long distance boyfriend that she couldn't see whenever she wanted to. Most of the time she didn't have the spare time to worry about helping herself out, but lately she'd been missing Peeta more and more.

"Um…erm…well…I've only done it once since I've been back, not counting that time with you on the phone," she laughed nervously. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking about it. Wondering if you do it as much as I do…"

"When do you do it? Like a lot?"

Peeta chuckled. "Showers, mostly. Sometimes in bed if Mark is snoring."

"Ew! What if he saw?"

"Katniss…we're two guys that live together. I know when he gets on his back and starts snoring it would take a marching band to wake him. Guys are different than girls…we just get it done and move on with life."

"Well, girls sorta do too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean…most of the time I just do it when I can't sleep," she admitted coyly, shifting the phone to her other ear. "It's not like I do it all the time."

"Well you should."

"Peeta….I have a life. I have homework and studying and class…I don't have time to sit around diddling myself all day."

"But that is a pretty picture," he hummed on the other end of the line.

"You're incorrigible."

Peeta: I bought you a present

Katniss: Peeta…

Peeta: No, this is a present u need

Katniss: What is it?

Peeta: Surprise.

Katniss: You know I hate surprises!

Peeta: You will hate this one at first but then you'll love me a hundred times more for it.

Katniss: ?

Peeta: Trust me.

Katniss: Well…when do I get it

Peeta: I ordered it online. You'll get it soon.

Katniss: Will I like it

Peeta: I told u yes ; )

Katniss: I'll say it again: I hate surprises

Peeta: Bear with me hot stuff

Katniss: I hate u

Peeta: You love me. Just call me when u get it

Katniss: When will it be here?

Peeta: Hold up. Checking

Peeta: Check wed after last class

Katniss: this had better be good

Peeta: : )

Prim picked up on the first ring.

"Hiiii."

"Hey," she greeted, shuffling through the leaves. Her walk back from Chemistry was the longest – the science building was unfortunately placed on the opposite side of campus from her dorm, so she figured calling her sister would help shorten the long, lonely walk. They hadn't spoken since she'd gone back to school, the dreaded conversation about the sexting conversation looming between them.

"What are you up to?"

She heard her little sister sigh. "Homework. What else?"

"Get used to it little duck."

"I want summer again."

"That makes two of us," she complained, kicking at the leaves near her feet. Fall was in full swing as October dragged on. It was the middle of the week and Katniss was already dreading a lonely weekend alone. Weekends weren't much fun when you had nothing to look forward to. Peeta's roommate would be home for the next two weekends so she wasn't sure what they were going to do to see one another. She didn't particularly want to risk bringing him into her dorm again, but she just might have to.

Prim coughed on the other end of the phone.

"So um….how are you?" she asked, cringing as soon as the words left her mouth. She just sounded so awkward but what could she say? Her little sister had caught her sexting and it was the most humiliating thing she'd ever encountered.

"Katniss," Prim sighed, seeing right through her ruse, "I didn't tell mom."

Katniss felt herself exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "Oh Prim, I-"

"I don't want to really talk about it…because, well…EW…but….I'm not going to tell mom. Are you guys really…"

She sighed as she kicked at some leaves on the ground and huffed. "Do you really want to know?"

She took Prim's silence on the other end of the line as a 'yes'.

"Yes, we…we have sex. We're safe though. We use two types of birth control."

"Katniss…"

"No, Prim. You're fifteen. You need to hear that. Please don't ever have sex with someone unless you trust them enough to make them use two kinds of birth control. It's not worth the risk."

"Fine, fine. But…he's nice?"

Katniss cracked a smile. "It's still Peeta. It's not like he changes into a different person when we do it."

Prim sighed into the receiver. "Honestly….I'm like weirdly happy for you."

"You are?"

"Yeah. I mean…Peeta's awesome. I'm happy my awesome sister found an awesome guy to do it with."

"And love. We're in love," she sternly reminded her.

"Right," Prim agreed. "I think I might love Rory."

"You do!?"

"Yeah. We're not going to have sex though, so don't freak out. I'm not like….ready and Hazelle never leaves us alone," Prim rattled off quickly. Katniss could hear the nervousness in her little sister's voice as she spoke. "I really like him and I think he likes me as much as I like him and…well, I really think I might love him. But I haven't said it yet and neither has she, so…"

"That's good."

"Yeah, well….he's great. He's never sent me a picture of what's in his pants though," Prim snickered.

"Prim, shut it."

"I'm sorry. You know I'm sorry about that right? I didn't mean to…snoop."

"I know you didn't. Just…be mindful. And never open a text from Peeta on my phone," Katniss sighed.

"Deal," Prim promised.

After hanging up with Prim, she walked into her building and remembered that it was Wednesday afternoon. She'd been anxiously awaiting the mystery package ever since Peeta told her it would be coming, so she quickly pulled out her key and checked her mailbox.

Nothing.

She heard someone tapping on the glass across the entryway. Turning, she saw a resident advisor tapping on the glass and motioning her over.

"Are you Katniss?"

She felt her stomach twist nervously. "Yes," she nodded.

He slid the window open and handed her a brown, unmarked box. "You have to sign for it. It wouldn't fit in the mail slot so we kept it here."

"That's fine," she said quietly, glancing at the box. It was plain, so she had no idea what Peeta had sent her. Most boxes from online stores had the name of the store printed on the outside, but this one only had an inconspicuous address from the sender that she didn't recognize.

After signing her name, she grabbed the box and turned around. Curiosity piqued, she noticed the tape was loose on the side so she ripped it open. She dug through the packaging and finally discovered a hard object at the bottom. Pushing the wrapping aside, she held the object with a confused look and frowned.

"Everything okay? It's not something suspicious, is it?" the RA asked, tapping on the glass again. She looked over her shoulder and shook her head before looking at the strange object again. Her eyes suddenly widened.

"Holy fucking shit," she growled, stuffing it back in the box. "Um…no, it's fine."

Her cheeks flamed a violent red as she jammed the box into her bag and hurried up the steps to her dorm room. She flew inside, tossing the bag on her bed and hurriedly pulling the comforter over it. Her stomach was twisted into knots as she locked her door. She instantly felt stupid for reacting in such a way, but honestly?! She wanted to kill Peeta for sending her something like that without a warning.

Peeta picked up on the first ring with a snicker.

"Hello?"

"You bought me a vibrator?!" she hissed. "I opened it at the RA's desk downstairs!"

"You what?"

"Yeah, he…he didn't see it but…holy shit Peeta!" she cried, running a hand through her hair. "What on earth would you send me that for?

He snorted. "Um, to use."

Katniss let out a nervous laugh. "But…I don't…I can't…."

Peeta chuckled again on the other end of the line. "Would you relax? I'm sure every girl on your floor owns one."

"You couldn't possibly know that."

"Lots of girls do. My friends that are girls joke about having them. Darius gave me the idea actually. We were drinking the other night and he asked me about you and how we were doing long distance and-"

"What made you buy me this?" she cried again, eyeing the bag. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute as she stared at the place where the object was hidden.

"-I'm explaining that! I just thought it would be fun to…I thought you might like it. He asked how we handle being apart for so long and asked if you had a little helping hand if you will…"

"Oh my god," she groaned, covering her face. She was beyond mortified that Peeta had been discussing their habits with someone else.

"Oh relax, it's just Darius. He loves you! He was just asking and I didn't like say I was going to buy one or anything. I just did it on a whim because…well, I know we can't always be together. I thought it would be…fun."

Katniss groaned again and moved to the bed after double checking that her door was locked. "I still can't believe you bought me a vibrator."

"You don't think you'll use it?"

"Peeta…"

"Katniss look….most girls have them. Okay, well a lot of girls have them. It's just something I thought maybe you could use when…we're not together. Or maybe we could use it together?"

Katniss blanched. "Wait…how…what do you mean?"

He cleared his throat on the other end of the line. "Well…I can't get too into detail because Mark will be back soon but…I thought maybe you could bring it with you when you visit. Maybe we could just…"

"Use it together?" she asked slowly, chewing her lip. "How…"

"Well, uh….maybe you could be on top and I could just…help you out while we…"

Katniss let her mind wander as Peeta spoke, his voice taking on the deep, husky tone she so loved. It was the same voice he used when they had sex. Her cheeks blossomed into another deep shade of red as she began thinking about the way he looked during sex. Hooded eyes, ruddy cheeks, and a clenched jaw. She loved his clenched jaw. In the deep, dark corners of her mind that was what she referred to as Sexy Peeta. Her legs clamped together in response as a familiar tingling began between her thighs as she thought of him that way.

Hmm…maybe this won't be so hard to use, she thought, eying her bag.

"That sounds….interesting."

"Yeah?" he asked happily. She leaned against the wall and pulled the dreaded box from the bag. Fishing through the tissue paper, she pulled the small, silver vibrator out of the package.

"Yeah. I mean…at least it's not like pink or anything," she laughed.

"Will you like…do you think you'll use it?"

She paused, turning the smooth, shiny plastic over in her hand. "Um….I don't know. Oh my God, this is so embarrassing. It even came with batteries!"

"Well good, I paid extra for the batteries. Why is it embarrassing?" he asked pleadingly. "I just got it for you as a gift. It's just something to use when I can't be there. I thought you would like it."

"Peeta…"

"Is it so bad that I just want you to…to feel good? You act like it's a crime."

"No, it's not, I just ….it's weird to get a vibrator in the mail is all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BIG NEWS! This story is nominated for an Everlark Smut Award! Tonight is the last night to vote, so please go over and give this story and maybe even Cruel Summer or NIOF a vote? Yeah?   
> http://everlarksmutawards.tumblr.com/votes


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: October 29th

(Katniss)

Saturday was immediately off to a rough start. She slept way past her usual time and therefore blew her normal routine of getting up early and going for a run in the park, and she also missed the breakfast line in the cafeteria. Breakfast was one of the only meals worth going to. Pissed at herself, she scribbled furiously at her homework, determined to have it completely finished and out of the way by noon. It was Saturday and she absolutely hated waiting until Sunday night to get everything finished for the next week, so she was trying her hardest to get it done then. Anger boiled through her veins as she realized why she was so not herself.

She's been thinking about it all week.

Her eyes lifted to look up at the box on the shelf above her desk. After throwing it there earlier in the week she hadn't touched it since. However, the curiosity was starting to wear on her. Did she even want to use it? Was it normal? Would she even like it? Questions swirled through her mind as she tried to work up the courage to just use it. The vibrator was still in the box, the batteries in the tiny package beside it, untouched.

Basically, she was being a chicken shit about this whole situation and she hated herself for it.

She went back to writing, her eyes only occasionally flicking up to the box again.

Damn it, she thought. Why was she so obsessed with a stupid little piece of plastic with a motor?!

You know why, her mind echoed back. You're afraid you'll like it.

It wasn't like Peeta would care she had it – he'd given it to her for Christ's sake! What was she so worried about? It wasn't like she was offending his manhood or his talents by using it, right?

Her phone buzzed beside her, making her jump.

Peeta: Whats up beautiful

Katniss: Homework. Ulgh.

Katniss: u?

Peeta: Goin to play bball with some of the guys. Just wanted to say hi

Peeta: I miss u

Katniss: I miss u too

Peeta: Well if you miss me then you could maybe use my present ; )

Katniss: Did you just set me up Mellark

Peeta: maybe ; )

Katniss: No, I haven't used ur present yet.

Peeta: y not? U make me so sad lol

Katniss: Are you really that hopeful that I will use it?

Peeta: Yah. I want you to use it and tell me about it

Peeta: I want to kno how wet it makes you

Katniss: y? so you can go take a shower? Haha

Peeta: Sadly, yes

Peeta: Just USE IT. If I was a chick I'd have used it by now

Katniss: I'm sure you would have. Perv

Peeta: Shut up Everdeen, u kno u wan to

Katniss: Maybe

Peeta: Got 2 go. Text u after

Peeta: Love u babe

Peeta: USE IT ; )

Katniss set her phone back down on her desk with a sigh. Pushing the box from her mind, she tried to continue with her homework. She managed to complete it with little to no trouble before quickly changing into her sweats to go for a run. Was Peeta right? Would she enjoy using a sex toy? Her mouth twisted into a pensive look as she snapped her sports bra into place with a crack and pulled on a sweatshirt. She grabbed her archaic iPod and walked through the chilly fall air to the gym. As she placed her ear buds in and picked a treadmill in the nearly abandoned workout room, she thought about the box on her shelf.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was mildly curious. How could she not be? Of course it was fine to own such a thing, but the idea was still a little naughty. She smiled to herself as the angry music flowed through the earphones as she began to jog.

What did it matter if she was curious about using it? It was hers, wasn't it? No one would ever know. It wasn't like she would forever have I own a vibrator tattooed on her forehead. Her feet were soundless to her ears as she ran on the treadmill, punching up the speed until her legs ached and her stomach hurt. The loud, angry music on her outdated iPod fueled her frustrated body forward until she could think clearly.

She missed Peeta and was tired of not getting him all to herself. The lonely hours in her dorm room were adding up quicker that ever lately, and to know that it wouldn't feel better until summer was just so irritating. She had a long, cold, lonely winter before her and there was nothing she could do about it. She missed him but she also shallowly missed his body and getting to feel him anytime she wanted. Was that superficial? She hoped not, but silently realized it was incredibly trivial and stupid to miss someone's body and getting twenty four hour access to it. With a grunt, she pulled the power cord out of the treadmill and doubled over to catch her breath. A few people in the gym turned to give her curious looks, but the loud music and spots in her eyes left her completely oblivious. Her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath as she wiped down her machine and turned to leave.

If she couldn't have Peeta anytime she wanted, well…. then she would have the next best thing.

After jogging back to her dorm and quickly showering, she found herself in her bathrobe with an entire Saturday evening to kill.

The box seemed to stare at her from the shelf above her desk.

Katniss rolled her eyes at her own stupid behavior and flopped down on her desk chair and opened her laptop. She clicked the Skype icon and texted Peeta that she was online. He appeared minutes later on her computer screen, his blue eyes illuminated by the dim glow of his monitor.

"Hey sexy."

"Hey," she greeted back, giving him an eye roll.

"Sight for sore eyes." A small smile slowly crept onto her lips as his raspy, suddenly very sexy voice greeted her warmly. She looked up at the screen and smiled as she realized he was sporting a few day' scruff along his jaw and throat – something she secretly loved. He flashed her a white toothed grin and innocently licked his lips. Katniss felt her thighs clench together as his tongue flashed across the corner of his mouth.

"Ditto."

Peeta leaned forward as if he could see down her shirt. "What are you wearing?"

"My bathrobe," she laughed. "What are you wearing?" she asked cheekily, eying him through the screen. Peeta chuckled and stood up.

"Basketball shorts and a ratty shirt."

Katniss leaned forward and eyed him saucily as showed her the way his shirt was cut out on the sides, exposing the corners of his stomach. She gave him a little whistle as he sat back down.

"So…." He prodded.

"Soo…"

He grinned impishly and she could almost hear his words before he spoke them. "So you use my present yet?"

Katniss gave him a little grin. "No."

"Fine," he chuckled, picking up a basketball from nearby. He spun it idly on the tips of his fingers a few times, laughing when it fell.

"You're pretty handy with that thing."

"Yeah? I'm pretty handy with something else," he winked, his blue eyes flashing. She watched in the monitor as he bit his lip suggestively.

Katniss shook her head. "So when am I going to see you next?"

Peeta gave her a suddenly melancholy look. "Mark's next away game isn't til the first week of November."

Her heart sank as she did the math. That was over two weeks away. "That's a long time."

He let the ball bounce away as he leaned forward and gave her a mournful look. "I know it is. I'm sorry babe, I really am. I could maybe come there?"

She sighed. "I really shouldn't. If I get caught with you in my room I could lose my student housing."

"That's no good. Never mind that. We could get a hotel room…"

"And how would you explain that charge to your dad?" she laughed. "Next."

"Worth a shot," he chuckled. "Well I guess it's going to be a long two weeks. I could maybe come by your place for dinner next weekend? It's not the far of a drive; I just can't spend the night."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

"It's a date then babe. Oh and if you're missing me, I know something you could do…"

Katniss rolled her eyes. "You want me to use the present. I get it."

"Just think about it?"

Katniss waved him off and they said their goodbyes, closing her computer with a click. She made her way over to her couch and flipped on the television, content to have a quiet night in her room alone. The channels clicked by as she tried to find something suitable to watch; all that was on were shows about overbearing dance mothers and gypsies. Annoyed, she went to her meager DVD collection and scanned the stack. Her eyes lit up when she saw a title that looked good, so she popped it in.

Relaxing back on her small couch, she stuffed her hand into a bag of pretzels and reclined across the surface as the opening credits to Pretty Woman began to play. Even though she'd seen the movie with Prim probably a thousand times, the way Julia Roberts sounded while singing along to Prince in the bathtub made her giggle every single time. She's had a hard time explaining to Prim what exactly Vivian did for a living and she'd had to fast forward through the raunchy scenes when watching it with a younger version of Prim, but she loved the movie all the same. Now that she was alone, however, she didn't have to fast forward. As the two main characters writhed together on the expensive looking sheets she watched with rapt interest.

Richard Gere was draped across Julia Roberts, his back muscles bending and twisting as they rolled together on the bed. Katniss bit into another pretzel and chewed slowly as she watched the scene unfold.

His back is very nice…but not as nice as Peeta's. Like that time I saw him shirtless playing soccer.

Her mind drifted back to Camp Panem that previous summer when she'd approached the soccer fields as Peeta was taking part in a spur of the moment scrimmage match with some of the older campers. She'd hung back by the trees and lurked like a creeper but she'd just been so damn captivated by a shirtless, running, soccer playing Peeta that's she'd been content to be just that. He was dressed in cleats and pads and had on black basketball shorts but was naked from the waist up. The way the summer sun looked against his tan, muscular back was something she hadn't thought about in a while. She remembered enjoying the way the sun caught the sparse golden hairs on his chest and arms as they glistened with a sheen of sweat.

Without thinking, she licked her lips and sighed. She missed him. Her mouth twisted into a grimace as she realized again just how long it would be until they were together again. The days piled up in her head in mess of numbers and waiting and just…she couldn't stand it anymore.

"What the hell," she muttered, stalking over to her desk. Double checking that her door was locked and dead bolted, she spied Peeta's present and set her jaw in determination. She would not chicken out. Ripping the brown box down from the shelf, she yanked out the contents and looked at them. The toy itself wasn't anything garish or scary looking – just a round, silver bullet-looking item.

"Nothing scary."

She swallowed roughly and unwrapped the batteries, shoving them into the separate portion of the device and clicked it on. It came alive in her hand, jumping slightly as it began to vibrate with a soft buzz.

"Holy shit," she gasped, grasping the smooth object in her palm. It felt…weird. Quickly switching it off, she dropped it onto the couch cushions and turned away. Her cheeks burned slightly as she glanced at the foreign object. She wasn't all that interested in it until she'd felt how smooth and surprisingly intense the vibrations had been in her hand. Turning her head, she stared at it until her eyes started to burn.

She was chickening out.

"I can't do this," she muttered, bending to yank the door of her mini fridge open. Her fingertips closed around the neck of the bottle of wine in her door, ripping it out and taking a ragged breath.

She would do this. Her visits with Peeta were few and far between and she needed to do something to each the increasing ache of missing him.

After pouring a generous amount of liquid into a paper cup, she held it to her lips and took a long drag. She hadn't even had a drink since the night she went to Peeta's frat party, so the dry, tangy wine took her by surprise. Before she realized it, half the cup was gone and she was instantly chugging the rest. As the liquor slid down her throat, she felt her body start to relax and glow with warmth.

Katniss moved over to her small couch again, sitting beside the object in question. She eyed it wearily, toying with the tie on her bath robe.

I should just try it. Maybe I'll like it. That sounds weird though…'I love my vibrator!' That sounds so…bizarre.

She'd lived in a dorm of all girls for almost two and a half years now, so she'd heard girls talking about them before. It wasn't odd for girls to talk about things like that in the large, communal bathrooms as they were getting ready to go out for the night. Once she's been in one of the shower stalls drying off when several girls had been using the bathroom mirrors to get ready for a night out.

"Going out with Bryan again tonight?"

"Yeah, just one more time though. Homeboy needs a few lessons and I'm not sure I'm the girl to give them to him."

"What do you mean? He seems nice."

"He's very nice, just…"

"Well, spit it out!"

"He's nice, he just lacks know how in bed."

All the girls squealed in disappointment.

"Tell me you're lying," one of them giggled.

"I wish. He went down there before we did it and it was like he was tuning a fricking radio!"

"But he's so sweet! He really likes you!"

"I know, but how can I date a guy who sucks in bed?"

"Well...have you told him?'

"And kill his ego? No thanks. It just sucks, but I don't think I can date him if he can't return the favor if you know what I mean."

"Have you thought about showing him what you like?"

"I guess not…"

"Why not bring your vibrator?"

"Yeah, but won't that like…totally kill the mood?"

"Nah, he'll think it's kinky. He's a college guy! He'll get a kick out of it. And you will too!"

They all giggled at that as Katniss had rolled her eyes from behind the shower curtain.

"You need a waterproof one. Trent and I love to sneak into the showers and use it! I had to show him how to use it on me but oh my god! I saw stars!"

Katniss frowned as she recalled the conversation. Peeta had always been more than attentive in that area of their relationship – he had no problems getting her off or demonstrating how perfectly eager he was to do anything to please her, so she didn't have to worry about that aspect of their relationship. But what about the long weeks apart?

Her phone buzzed beside her on the small table beside the couch, making her nearly jump out of her skin.

Peeta: What's up

She gripped the phone with her sweaty hands and swallowed.

Katniss: Nothing. Watchin' a movie

Peeta: Me too. What are u watchin

Katniss: Pretty Woman : )

Peeta: Sexy movie time huh

Katniss: Lol yea

Peeta: why don't you watch your sexy movie and use your sexy toy ; )

Katniss: perv ; )

Tossing her phone to the side, she poured herself another glass of wine and took another large gulp. Her room began to grow warm as she sat on the couch and picked up the shiny little bullet and held it in her hand.

I'm not crazy, I'm normal. I'm going to try this and not feel weird.

She slid her hand down her stomach, parting her robe open to reveal her smooth, clean skin. Tracing her hand down her stomach, she bypassed the short hairs on her mound and tentatively touched herself with her fingers like she normally did. It felt good, but she was too distracted to really let it feel good. Pulling her lip between her teeth, she chewed it softly as she rubbed herself tentatively and closed her eyes. It felt nice, but not nearly as nice as it did when it wasn't her hand. Peeta's sweet smile and square jaw popped into her mind as she imagined him hovering above her.

The Jaw. Think about the Jaw, Katniss, she coached herself. Her boyfriend's masculine, square, perfect jaw never failed to get her riled up. She loved running her lips over it as she hovered in his lap, running her tongue over it softly.

A rush of warmth seemed to flood the room as she touched herself, circling the nub that was suddenly begging for her attention. It throbbed with need as she finally felt a flood of moisture surge to her womanhood and give her the lubrication that instantly helped. With a final gulp, she took the vibrator in her other hand and held it against herself. Then, she flipped it onto the lowest setting.

"Holy…oh!"

Her body instantly quaked with a ripple of desire as the gentle vibrations seemed to ricochet through her every limb, muscle, and nerve ending. The smooth plastic slid against her folds as she fumbled to return it to her clit. She hadn't been expecting it to feel like that.

It felt good.

Not just good.

Amazing.

Katniss let out another soft cry and almost startled herself at how desperate she sounded, but she suddenly didn't care. Her robe fell to the side as she closed her eyes and slumped down on the couch and held the vibrator against herself like it was a lifeline.

OH my GOD does this feel good, she thought. Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth so hard, so she let her mouth fall open. At that moment her thumb accidently hit the switch on the side of the control sending the small bullet into overdrive. A loud keening noise came from her chest as she fell back against the cushions and opened her legs wider.

"Oh…oh…holy shit…"

Her body didn't feel like her own. As the vibrations continued one wave of pleasure after another went soaring through her body as it basked in enjoyment. Her center began to throb alarmingly fast as her release approached. Normally she would try to finish and worry about Peeta's orgasm, but as she toppled over the edge, her thighs clenching in delight and her hand trembling to hold the bullet steady, she couldn't think of anything else but the mind-blowing ecstasy that was washing over her. She felt herself throb against the smooth plastic as it hummed away, her breaths ragged and her eyes squeezed shut.

Pulling her hand away slightly, she panted a few times before tentatively touching it back to her sensitive folds. Rolling it up her body, she let it graze the side of her clit and gasped as it sent her body into another tailspin. By the third time it had happened, she was a goner. Her center ached with sensitivity as she slowly clicked it to the 'off' switch and flung it beside her on the couch. Her bare chest heaved with relief and pleasure as her body seemed to throb.

"Holy fucking shit," she gasped, pulling her robe closed. Reaching for her wine, she took another long gulp as her limbs seemed to fall into the jelly-like feeling she was used to after a good orgasm. Peeta's smiling face flashed in front of her eyes, and she knew that if he was there he would nudge her side with a gentle 'I told you so, Everdeen.'

With a grunt she pushed 'resume' on her DVD remote and let the picture of Edward and Vivian at the opera fill the screen as she recovered. Her eyes soon became droopy as her level of relaxation hit an all-time high. She was so completely sated and calm it was laughable. She had almost fallen asleep when her phone buzzed beside her.

Peeta: Are u awake?

Katniss: Barely, but yea

Katniss: What's up

Peeta: im in my side facing the wall so I can't be sure but I'm 99% sure Mark and Cassie are having sex with me IN THE ROOM

Peeta: EW EW EW

Peeta: FML KILL ME NOW

Katniss: Awwww

Katniss: want me to accidently 'butt dial' you and just be moaning in pleasure while my present is going in the background

Peeta: No

Peeta: But shit that would be hot

Katniss: I'm sorry babe. They must have a lot of class

Peeta: yea no

Katniss: so they are srsly having sex with you in the room

Peeta: Yeah they r in his bed which is ACROSS from mine

Katniss: Didn't they notice the light from ur phone

Peeta: Not really. They left the tv on. Fml.

Katniss: oh.

Katniss: I kno something that will make u feel better

Peeta: yeah?

Peeta: Please. Anything.

Katniss: I used my present ; )

Peeta: !

Katniss: Sweet dreams

Peeta: fuuuuck


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: November 10th

Peeta

Peeta leaned back in his desk chair and held his cell phone to his ear. It was Thursday afternoon and he was officially done with classes for the day so he was calling to try to convince Katniss to visit him for the weekend. He just wanted to see her. The past few weeks without her had been pure torture, the hours and minutes ticking by mercilessly as their busy school schedules constantly interrupted their weekend plans. He'd stopped counting the days it had been since he'd last seen her – the number was getting too depressing. Instead, he'd been trying to find a time when she could visit him. They'd been plagued with exams and papers and school projects that their time together just kept getting pushed back and pushed back even further. This weekend though, he was determined to make something work. He'd worked extra had to complete all of his homework to ensure he would have plenty of time to spend with Katniss.

She picked up on the third ring, her voice breathless and raspy as the wind blew around the speaker.

"I miss you," she breathed, laughing a little at the end of her sentence.

Peeta laughed and felt his heart swell a little. The perils of a long distance relationship were different than he thought they'd be. Katniss was his first experience with any sort of long distance relationship, but he'd seen friends who had attempted such feats over the years. Before meeting Katniss he thought it would be hard to keep his eye from wandering or being tempted by other girls; he didn't know how his buddies that did the long distance thing did it. However, that wasn't the case with his current relationship. Instead he was discovering how difficult it was to go without her for such long periods of time. A wandering eye wasn't even an issue –he missed her so much that he'd be out on the quad or in class and think he'd seen Katniss. Instead it was only his lovesick mind teasing him. They'd managed to Skype a few times and still called each other every day, and they even were able to send texts for a majority of the time.

But it just wasn't the same.

"And I miss you," he chuckled. "What are you doing?"

"Walking home from class. What are you doing?"

"Eh, just sitting here counting down the minutes of peace and privacy until Mark comes back from practice. Ulgh. Thank God the season is almost over – I've had enough of his sweaty socks everywhere to make me sick."

"Don't say that – what are we going to do when football is over and he's there on the weekends?"

"Right. Well….either way, he's due back in the room at any second and I'm enjoying my last few minutes of peace for the day. He's leaving tomorrow though."

"Oh, that reminds me! My English class got cancelled for tomorrow because my teacher lives out in the middle of nowhere and we're supposed to get snow and she doesn't want to make the trip to campus. So…class is cancelled already! Is it calling for up there?"

"We live an hour apart, goofball. I think our weather reports are pretty much the same."

"Oh," she sniffed. "Right. Well apparently we're supposed to get smacked with a winter storm tomorrow. Anyway, my only other class I can skip tomorrow since I never miss so…please come kidnap me?"

Peeta leaned forward in his desk chair and grinned. "Are you sure? What if we get snowed in?"

"Nonsense. It's November tenth; hardly far enough into winter to get a horrendous blizzard that they're all calling for. I call shenanigans on the whole thing and besides I miss you," she whined playfully.

"Well who knows? Maybe global warming is a crock after all," he laughed. "You're sure? I'm more than happy to come and get you."

"Please. I miss you," she begged as the wind whipped at the cell phone speaker. Peeta laughed and shook his head.

"You've mentioned that once or twice. But hey you only have to beg me once to come kidnap you Everdeen. I'm there. I'll pick you up at noon?"

"Deal. I'm bringing my backup bottle of wine, you stock up on some ramen? We'll kick this snowstorm's ass."

"I'll do you one better: Goldschlager again?"

He heard her laugh on the other end of the phone. "Ooooh…that sounds tempting. Remind me again how bad my headache was from last time?"

"Headache…what headache? You were fine," he joked. They'd both woken up with dry mouths and headaches after the frat party and the Goldschlager incident last time, but it had been so much fun that Peeta was quick to forget.

"Whatever. Alright. If it's going to get as cold as they say it is then maybe I'll need something to warm me up."

"Mmm, I can think of something else that will warm you up if you really want to try it."

"Is that so?

"That is certainly so. Speaking of that how's your little friend?"

Katniss laughed throatily on the other end of the phone. "I call him iPeeta. And he's fine, thanks."

"Um, 'iPeeta'? Please explain."

"You know, like in that movie? With the robots?"

"You mean 'I,Robot?'?"

"Yeah, I think so. I only saw the previews. But iPeeta is the robot version of you," she laughed. "You know, it does what you can't when you're an hour away."

"I'm going to pretend that made an ounce of sense and just laugh right along with you," he chuckled. "So you uh…still enjoying it?"

"I told you I was. You've officially made a sex addict out of me Peeta Mellark, what can I say?"

"Nothing I suppose. Well I'm glad you enjoyed my gift and I'll see you tomorrow at noon."

"I'll be there with bells on."

"Deal."

He hung up the phone and clapped his hands giddily. Katniss was coming to his room tomorrow and Mark would be gone. He could hardly contain his excitement.

In order to kill some time, he hurried about the room, picking things up and shoving all of Mark's crap up onto his bed. He ripped his sheets off and threw them in the laundry along with all of his other dirty clothes all the while picturing how they would dirty them back up that weekend. After picking up his side of the room (and a little of Mark's) he hurried out to his car for a quick Wal-Mart Run. He wasn't sure he believed the weather report either, but in case they were snowed in he wanted to be safer than sorry. So, he grabbed a cart and wasted no time stocking up on the necessities for the weekend: Condoms (since he was still too chicken to just have sex with Katniss on the pill) a few movies (Because what was better than a movie marathon on a snowy day?) and a bottle of Goldschlager as he had promised. He also stocked up on some fruit and snacks and a few frozen pizzas to cook on his little pizza cooker just in case things got desperate. The cafeteria was only open on Saturday mornings; for Sunday they were on their own.

By the time he got back to his room and unloaded all of his goodies, Mark was back from football practice.

"Hey, keep this place clean. Katniss is coming over tomorrow and staying the weekend," Peet warned him sternly. He began putting away his groceries in the tiny refrigerator as his slovenly roommate began stripping out of his sweaty gear from his conditioning practice.

Mark rolled his eyes and tossed his sweaty t-shirt at him in response. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Gonna get some this weekend Bread Boy?"

Peeta only gave him a smug look in response before tossing the nasty shirt back at his friend. "I don't kiss and tell, unlike you."

"Whatever," Mark chuckled. "If you were hitting what I'm hitting on the regular, you'd have a hard time not talking about it either Mellark."

Peeta looked up at him with a grimace as Mark's words set in. Understanding, his roommate shrugged. "Oh…sorry."

"No, trust me," Peeta said, shaking his head. "I'm fine with it. I…no, Katniss is all I need."

And he meant that. Since Katniss had come into his life the sting of seeing Cassie with another guy had lessened to the point where it was practically nonexistent. Now when he saw her all he really felt was stupid for letting such a vapid, fake girl monopolize his time and feelings for so long. When he thought of all the things he'd done for her it still made him a little angry, but now he was mainly angry with himself. She'd used him and gotten away with it, which he truly hated. But now he was at least with a girl who loved him for who he was and didn't want anything more than what he wanted to give.

And sometimes not even that much. She still thought her iPhone was a silly purchase sometimes, even though Peeta knew she was never without it. But the bottom line was that Katniss appreciated him in ways that Cassie never did or would. He was anything but sorry to see his former crush and love interest on Mark's arm.

"You don't mind me hitting your sloppy seconds, eh?" Mark teased, slugging him in the shoulder. Peeta winced as his pungent, after practice smell hit him.

"You won't be hitting anything if you smell like that. Shit man, go take a shower. Ulgh," he laughed.

Mark cackled in response and stripped down with no qualms at all. Peeta winced and looked away as his roommate grabbed a towel and headed towards the bathroom. Sometimes it sucked having an athlete as a roommate – he had no problems stripping down to his birthday suit whatsoever. Shaking the mental image from his head, he continued cleaning up his room in hopes that Mark would be leaving early the next day for his away game.

And take your girlfriend with you.

Peeta was just about to leave the next day to pick up Katniss when his phone rang. Glancing down, he saw the goofy self-portrait his father had taken with his iPhone over summer vacation glowing through the phone at him.

"Dad!" he greeted. "What's up?"

"Heyyyy Peet…not much. Whatcha doin?"

"Just uh…goin to pick up Katniss. She's staying with me for the weekend. Oh shit, don't tell mom that."

"I won't, we're cool, we're cool," his father promised. "Hey um….that kinda relates to why I'm calling."

Peeta frowned. "What?"

"Well…how are things with you and Katniss? Everything…alright?"

"Yeah things are great, why? What's up?"

"Well….I don't exactly know how to say this son, but….I'm a little worried."

Peeta scanned his mind for anything questionable that could be making his father worry about his relationship with Katniss, but nothing came to mind. Stumped, he asked, "Why?"

"Well…ah….this is between us but I got your credit card bill the other day and…Son, why are you shopping at a place called…oh crap, what was it…oh, here is: House of Pleasure?"

Peeta's stomach felt like it was going to fall out of his butt. His mouth went dry as his heart began throbbing so loudly in his ears he could barely hear his father on the other end of the line. The online sex store he'd used to purchase Katniss' vibrator had shown up on his credit card bill that his father paid.

I'm a fucking idiot.

"Peet? Peet, you there?"

"Um…," he answered nervously, licking his lips. "Yeah dad, I'm here. Um….shit."

"Yeah. Your mother didn't see it. I promise to shred the bill but…son, is there anything…up?"

"Oh god," Peeta groaned. "I um…"

He had no idea how to explain to his father that long distance relationships were a bitch and sometimes he wanted to make sure Katniss thought of him and got off while using a sex toy. He usually didn't have a problem telling people what they wanted to hear but this was an extreme case. His mind was blanking in the worst way.

"I uh….bought Katniss a little something to...ease our time apart. I'm sorry dad I didn't think…it would show up on the bill. That was stupid of me."

"It's alright son I just….I don't want to know what you bought her but let's uh…let's just be mindful of our purchases okay? And I only say that because your mother sometimes opens the bills so…"

"Right, right," Peet breathed. The tips of his ears burned with humiliation as he fought the urge to vomit. His father had completely caught him and it was clear that they were both mortified beyond belief.

"I'm really sorry; I don't mean to butt in like this. Totally uncool but I had to warn you. This is the type of stuff mom would really flip over, ya know?"

"Yeah dad, I know. Shit, I'm sorry…god this is humiliating…"

"No, you know…no. This is not a tragedy. I won't say anything to your mom, and you….you just be safe, aright?"

Peeta's face burned with a humiliation so deep he swore he'd never recover. "Oh god, yeah…um…er….we always use protection and….uh…God, uh, Katniss is on the pill too so…"

His father cleared his throat loudly on the other end of the line. "No…well, that's excellent son but I meant just be careful…with your heart this time around. I mean being safe with your penis is always good too buddy, but just…I mean your heart. She's a good girl?"

Peeta's mouth fell open slightly as his humiliated heart swelled in his chest at his father's words. "Yeah dad, she's a great girl. Like I said I…we really love each other and we really want to make this work. She's not Cassie, or….or anyone like I've been with before. She's so different and great and…"

"Okay. Well I just wanted to be sure. I'm just looking out for ya kid."

"Right….no, Katniss is amazing."

"Oh, and speaking of that, your mother and I decided that we'd love to have Katniss come visit us for the holidays. That would be great son."

"Seriously? That's awesome!"

"Yeah, well…we want to meet this girl that's making you so happy."

"Dad….I love you."

"I love you too Peet."

By the time Peeta got over his humiliation and put his coat on it was almost time to pick Katniss up. He jumped into his car and sped down the interstate towards her school and parked in front of her dorm just as the first few snowflakes began to fall. He sat down on the bench outside after texting her that he'd arrived, holding out his black gloved hands to catch a few of the snowflakes in his palm. They were starting to stick when she burst through the doors and ran towards him. He stood up and grinned widely, unable to contain his excitement any longer.

He held out his arms and watched her hurry towards him with a gigantic grin that matched his own. Her foot caught a patch of ice and she slid right into his waiting arms, her braid hitting him in the cheek. Katniss hugged him with a fierce grip that surprised him, his feet struggling to find traction in the newly forming snow.

"So much for that bogus weather report huh?"

She grinned and pulled back, giving him a genuine smile that he'd missed so much. "If I'm going to get snowed in I can't think of a more perfect person to keep me hostage."

"Well then," he said, picking up her weekend bag, "Let's go work on getting you snowed in. I like that whole hostage part."

He winked at her and started to walk away when her hand caught his jacket sleeve at the last moment. "Hey now…you forgot something."

"Oh yeah?" he asked her with a knowing grin. "What's that?"

"This."

She grabbed his jacket collar and pulled him roughly against her, leaning up on her toes to let her mouth crash against his. Peeta inhaled through his nose as Katniss kissed him passionately, her warm lips molding effortlessly against his. His thoughts grew cloudy and his grip on her weekend bag soon loosened making it fall into the snow at their feet with a soft thump. He wrapped his arms around her middle as she gently pried his mouth open with her soft tongue. He greeted it with his, swirling and tasting and welcoming her after several long weeks apart. She moaned into his mouth and changed the angle of her lips, opening her mouth further so that she could explore.

Where her kiss ended, his began. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers again, taking her bottom lip between his and sucking lightly. Katniss' hands loosened their grip on his jacket, softly sliding down to rest on his chest for a moment. He deepened it again, lightly biting and nipping at her soft lips as she reached up and cupped his jaw with one hand. Her touch made him shiver slightly and forget who he was for a second.

They stood there together in the falling snow, oblivious to the passersby as they kissed and let their mouths welcome each other. Her warm skin against his jaw made him remember all the heated kisses they'd shared while in the midst of something much more risqué than what they were doing then. Another shiver of anticipation for the weekend to come rolled down his spine as his body hungered for her. As frenzied as he felt to get her back to his room for the weekend, Katniss' touch made him want to lose track of reality for just a little while.

The feeling of her mouth on his made him realize why they belonged together in the first place; no other woman could ever have this effect on him. It was maddening and comforting at the same time.

She broke the kiss, her fingers still grasping his jaw in her small hand. His eyes opened slowly to see her softly smiling up at him like she had a secret.

"I missed you," she repeated desperately, her smoky grey eyes widening with meaning.

He managed to nod before letting his forehead fall forward to rest against hers. The snow continued to fall around them as they stood in front of her dorm in the freezing cold. It didn't matter though; they were together again.

"I missed you too."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: November 11th

Peeta POV

Peeta settled into the car and blasted the heat, happy that it was still warmed up from his trip down to Katniss' school. The snow was falling down in rapid clumps and sticking to the frozen ground around them. He knew he'd have to waste no time getting back to school before it started to really get bad. He hoped Mark's travel plans for the weekend weren't squashed because of it – his idea of an ideal weekend with Katniss certainly didn't include his annoying roommate. However, as he watched his girlfriend shiver slightly in the passenger seat and lick her pretty lips, he decided it was worth it to spend some time with her. She rubbed her hands together in front of the vent and grinned at him. She was wearing a knitted pink beanie on her head, the loose stitches a brilliant color next to her chocolate braid.

"I like the hat," he admitted as he pulled onto the interstate. He checked and double checked his mirrors to make sure he was clear before pushing down on the gas. His car usually did well in the snow but he wasn't taking any chances with his precious cargo.

Katniss shrugged, reaching up to touch the hat. "Prim made it for me. Said I would look nice with my hair, so…"

"I knew I liked Prim," Peeta laughed. They drove in silence for a few minutes, Peeta concentrating on navigating the icy highway as Katniss settled into the seat beside him with a happy sigh.

"I was so ready to get away from that place. My dorm room can be so…so blah. It's relaxing at times to not have a roommate to share my space with but sometimes it's nice to talk to people."

"I know what you mean. I'm spoiled on the weekends Mark is out of town."

"He's gone this weekend too, right?"

Peeta frowned out the windshield at the heavily falling snow. "I hope so. This snow doesn't look like it's letting up anytime soon. Shit, I hope they don't cancel his game due to the weather."

"It could happen," she sniffed. "What will we do if it does?"

He shrugged. "It will be an awkward weekend. Let's just hope you don't kill Cassie."

Katniss groaned, letting her head fall back against the seat. "I forgot about her."

"Well let's just hope she takes the hint and makes herself scarce."

"No offense Peeta, but she doesn't seem like the type of girl that would take any type of hint. But that's just me."

"Yeah well….if Mark's game is cancelled and she does have to hang around our room this weekend….just don't kill her."

"Can I maim her?"

Peeta snorted. "Mutilation is fine, yes, but they frown on killing people in the dorms. It's like the one rule here. Just no death by strangulation."

Katniss settled back in the passenger seat and laughed. "Damn."

The trip to his school took twice as long as it usually did but they eventually made it. Peeta parked his car and grabbed her overnight bag as they made the trek up to his dorm room, shuffling through the accumulating snow on their way to his building. Their feet were both covered in snow and freezing by the time they made it to the elevator.

"My room is warm," he promised. He opened the door and looked around, wincing when he saw Mark's packed weekend bag sitting on the futon. Mark was nowhere to be seen, but Peeta hoped it meant he was somewhere preparing to leave.

Katniss leaned against his desk and crossed her arms, giving him a grin. "What's eating you?"

Peeta heaved a sigh. He knew he'd have to tell her eventually that his father was aware of his 'purchase' – that was the type of thing that could come out at a horrible time and make Katniss really angry. He knew he needed to just suck it up and tell her but it was difficult. If she was anxious about meeting his family before, well….she was surely going to be apprehensive after this. Peeta knew his father wouldn't breathe a word of it to his mother, but he wanted to be honest with Katniss…just in case.

"I have to…tell you something."

Her face fell. "What do you mean?"

"It's…not good, I'll admit I've been putting it off since I picked you up."

"Uh oh…" she hummed, "Is this the part where you tell me you're secretly a woman? Or married?"

Peeta snorted and took her hand in his. "No, uh…I wish. Actually…remember your uh…present?"

Katniss smirked. "I actually brought it with me. I was thinking maybe we could use it…together."

Peeta choked on his own spit momentarily, his eyes wide and his dick automatically twitching in his pants. She had her vibrator here? In her bag? To use with him? His mind immediately pictured Katniss straddling him on the futon, naked, her hands on his knees and her crotch exposed as she rode him. He could imagine her raspy screams of delight as he held the pink vibrator against her clit and made her moan his name until she-

"Peeta?"

He coughed and adjusted his pants. "Oh, uh…sorry."

Katniss gave him a curious stare. "You were saying?"

"Yeah uh…well alright, I guess I should just come out with it. My dad…uh…called me earlier. Told me….I bought you that present on the credit card that my dad actually um…pays for."

He looked up in time to see all the color drain from Katniss' face. "What…does that mean?" she stammered nervously.

Peeta gripped her hand and shrugged. "It means…that when he opened the bill and saw the purchase I'd made we had a very…and I mean very awkward phone call."

"Oh my god," she moaned, hiding her face in her hands. "When did this happen?"

"Um, earlier. Before I picked you up."

"Oh Peeta-"

"Now just wait, he's…he's cool with it."

He silently pleaded for her not to freak out about this – as humiliating as it was, Peeta was just grateful it was his goofy, understanding father that had opened the bill that time and not his witchy mother. He was sure he'd still be on the phone listening to a lecture about maturity and responsibility had that been the case.

Katniss shot him a look that was beyond mortification. "He what?"

"He just…he understands that we're in a long distance relationship and that sometimes-"

"Oh my god oh my god oh my GOD," she groaned, ignoring his pleas. Peeta watched as she shook her head and turned a shade of red he'd never seen before. "This is a nightmare. This is ten times worse than you secretly being a woman. Oh my GOD."

"Please, babe, just listen-"

"Peeta! How can you ask me to listen? Your father found the charge for my fucking vibrator! When I meet him he'll know that I use a vibrator!"

Peeta sighed. "Okay, well….honestly it's not that big of a deal, he was fine with it and –"

"Wait, you discussed this? With your father? Oh kill me now, kill me now…" she grumbled.

Peeta placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her. "Will you listen? Babe, he's fine. He promised not to breathe a world of this to my mother and jeez, that's the one I should really be worried about but….he's cool. Katniss, my dad already loves you without even meeting and knows you're the most important thing in my life. He wouldn't dream of uttering a word of this to my mom or to you or of embarrassing you ever. Okay? Ever. That's not what he's about."

"You swear?"

"I swear it. Katniss, my dad is like…like one of my best friends. He's like a teenager himself sometimes. He just…wanted me to be aware that he knew about it so that I guess I could avoid making such…purchases in the future."

Katniss shuddered and shook her head. "But when he sees me at Christmas he'll know. I'll look at him and he'll look at me and oh my lord Peeta he'll know."

"So?" Peeta sniffed. "He wouldn't say anything. He swore."

"Oh my god this is horrible," she groaned again. "How am I even going to look your father in the eye? I'm going to die of humiliation," she sighed.

"No, he's not like that. I swear to you my dad is awesome and cool and he'd never deliberately torment you that way. I promise you Katniss, I-"

Peeta was cut off as Mark paraded noisily through the door with – Peeta actually groaned internally – Cassie. He felt Katniss tense beside him as his roommate and his girlfriend shuffled into the room tiny room that they shared.

"Peet!" Mark hollered. Peeta rolled his eyes and looked over at Katniss with an apologetic glance. "What's up? Game's cancelled. Everything is postponed due to the blizzard."

"Swell," Peeta grumbled. Katniss shot him an apprehensive look as she crossed her arms and leaned back against his desk.

"So this is the lovely Katniss I heard so much about!" Mark laughed. Peeta watched as his classless roommate eyed his girlfriend up and down with an appreciative glance. "Nice to finally meet you. Damn, I see what this guy's been braggin' about!"

"Mark!" Cassie hissed, violently elbowing his side, "What the hell?"

"Sorry babe," Mark chuckled. "Just telling the truth."

Cassie rolled her eyes and shot a challenging look at Katniss. "I don't know if you remember me, but-"

Katniss snorted. "No, we've met. I remember you."

Cassie shot his girlfriend a satisfied smirk and nodded. "Well…it's gonna be a fun weekend guys. Snowed in together," she laughed.

Peeta grimaced and looked over at Katniss, who he could tell was formulating a plan. He watched as her gaze turned calculating and cool.

Katniss plastered a fake smile on her lips and looked directly at Cassie. "Actually, do you live nearby? Because I was hoping Peeta and I could have the room for a couple hours. You know how long distance relationships are….when you get together you really need some…" she looked over at Peeta and gave him a flirty wink, "Alone time, if you know what I mean."

Peeta resisted the urge to laugh out loud as Cassie's mouth dropped open and Mark whooped in delight. He wasn't a smart guy, but he was nice enough. And dumb to boot. Cassie smacked his shoulder with a resounding crack as Katniss ran her hand suggestively up Peeta's arm.

"Um…I guess we could go back to my room. If you really think a few hours is all that necessary," Cassie finally scoffed with a challenging glare.

Peeta could have cried with joy as his girlfriend turned to him. "Oh…we usually take a few hours getting um…reacquainted. Thanks for being so great about this! You guys are really great to help us out."

Cassie huffed, shooting Peeta a death glare before grabbing Mark by the arm and yanking him out of the room. The door closed with a loud slam and Peeta turned to Katniss.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Katniss grinned. "No, but I have a feeling you're about to show me," she whispered, pinning him against the desk. Peeta grinned as his girlfriend leaned forward and attacked his mouth hungrily with hers. Her lips assaulted his with a fervor he had only been able to dream about for the past few weeks. Peeta chuckled throatily as his pants began to tighten and she broke away to give him a wanton look that meant she wanted him and she wanted him bad.

"I love that look on your face almost as much as I loved what you just said to her," he growled playfully.

"Take your pants off. I need a quickie," she mumbled against his mouth. Her tongue slid into his mouth and teased his as her hands darted beneath his shirt. Her nails scraped against his stomach, making goose bumps rise up on his skin where she touched him. "Sit."

"If you say so," he said, sitting down in his desk chair. He tried to wipe the shit eating grin from his face but found he was having some difficulty doing so. Katniss ripped off her coat and boots, tossing them to the side as he leaned over and opened his nearby closet door to reach his condom stash. His fingers fumbled in the depths of the closet as he watched her strip down to her birthday suit in front of him. The view of Katniss' naturally olive skin with the faded tan lines from camp was more than he could handle as he fumbled around for the condoms. When he finally found a strip of foil packets, he ripped it out and sent his shower caddy tumbling down with it. It landed on the floor with a loud crash that neither of them paid any attention to as his toiletries scattered across the tile floor. He would deal with that later.

Katniss helped him out of his shirt and pants as he kicked off his shoes. He collapsed back into his desk chair with a loud thump, his foot landing on a bottle of body wash. It squirted blue soap every which way, making them laugh out loud. His teeth found the edge of the foil packet and ripped it open, hastily shoving the condom on his already erect length and tossing the wrapper onto Mark's desk. He suddenly had no cares in the world except for getting his girlfriend on top of him.

Katniss moved out of the way just long enough for him to secure the condom to the base of his cock before sinking down on top of him with one long movement.

"Holy fucking…wow," he groaned as she settled into his lap. Her foot kicked away a bar of soap before she got a good grip on the tile floor with her foot, straddling him and giving herself some friction. She began to move on top of him, gripping the back of his chair as she bobbed up and down on his cock.

"Oh God, this is feels so good," she moaned, leaning forward so that their chests touched. Peeta leaned back in his desk chair and watched as Katniss began to grind against him. He reached up and roughly tweaked her nipples as they bounced slowly in his face. She squealed and threw her head back so hard she whipped in the face with her braid. Peeta was about do it again when he felt her reach behind her bottom and lightly stroke his sac. It was definitely going to be a quickie if she kept that up.

"Fuck!" he growled deeply. "Oh my…."

"I know," she breathed, thrusting against his length again. Peeta's jaw dropped open as he watched her blatantly use his body for her own release, bobbing and grinding against him as she clenched him with her walls. He placed his thumb against her clit and flicked his eyes up to hers.

"Too bad we don't have your toy out. I'd love you use it to make you come," he whispered, flicking her with his thumbnail. Katniss mewled in response as her motions on top of him grew choppy and uneven. She gripped his shoulders as he rubbed her, her body tightening as she rode him. She came seconds later, her voice hoarse and her eyes screwed shut. Peeta followed several minutes later, the sweat trickling down his brow as he thrust up against her a final time.

"Damn," he growled as she slumped over onto his shoulder.

"What?"

"I wanted to come with you. At the same time, ya know?"

Katniss lifted her head from his shoulder. "What difference does it make? We both had great orgasms," she laughed.

"I know but…okay, can I tell you something?"

"Yes…"

"When like…okay so in porn-"

"Oh gross-"

"-No, just listen. Like in porn they always come together. Or….he comes on her face, but most of the good ones they come at the same time and it just looks…mind-blowing, ya know? Like it's so hot that-"

Katniss rolled her eyes and lifted herself off of him, carefully holding the condom in place so that it didn't slide off. "I guess so but did it ever occur to you that they might be, I duno, acting?"

Peeta chewed his lip as she swung her leg off of him and grabbed his t-shirt off the floor. She slipped into it before rummaging around for her underwear.

"Well...it just looks fun," he chuckled. "It's a goal of mine."

"It's so good to have goals…meanwhile, my goal is food. Are you hungry?"

He nodded as he pulled his boxers back up and avoided the puddle of body wash on the floor. He'd stomped on the bottle after it had fallen out of the closet and it had squirted a huge blue, Old Spice scented blob on the floor. "Wanna see if we can get a pizza delivered?"

She padded over to the window and shrugged. "Snows' coming down awfully hard. Wow, it looks like we've already gotten six or seven inches. Good thing I brought all my books with me."

Peeta walked up behind her and gazed out the window at the falling snow. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and rested his chin on her shoulders and sighed as he watched the large white flakes flutter to the ground. He was on the seventh floor of his dorm, giving him a fairly decent view of the campus below. The quad was quickly turning into a winter wonderland beneath them, students hurrying out of the wind as classes ended for the day.

"You're not actually gonna study this weekend, are you?"

She shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt. Besides, what if you can't take me back on Sunday? I'll at least need to stay caught up."

"You're right. I wouldn't mind being snowed in with you, Miss Everdeen," he chuckled, placing a kiss on the side of her exposed neck.

Katniss looked at him over her shoulder and grinned. "What if we run out of condoms? Or food?"

Peeta tossed his head back and gave her a hearty laugh. "No fear. Your boyfriend thoughtfully made a trip to the local Wal-Mart earlier just to ensure such a disaster didn't occur."

He walked over to his closet and opened it, showing her the boxes of condoms, a case of Ramen, and a Wal-Mart bag with oranges and bananas.

"You think of everything," she grinned, shaking her head at him.

"I know. I'm nothing if not prepared."

"Such a Boy Scout," she teased with a little laugh.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!"

Katniss giggled and shrugged, giving him a playful wink. "Being a Boy Scout is a good thing. It means you're always prepared and I'm touched. I still want to kill you for charging my vibrator to a card your dad can see, but…"

Peeta gave her a withering look. "But you'll forgive me for that, right?"

Katniss rolled her eyes and ambled over to where he stood, shaking her head. "I'll get over it. I might put off meeting your dad for another hundred years, but…yes, Peeta, I'll get over it."

"Are you only saying that because you love your vibrator so much?"

She snorted. "Maybe. So…anyway, shall we begin our snowed in weekend?"

He shrugged. "Sorry Mark and Cassie are gonna be here. That part I didn't plan. Nor would I ever, Ulgh."

"You can't help it. We'll just make the best of it and…maybe be so nauseating together that they're the ones who want to end up leaving the room for once. Payback is a bitch. But let's not worry about that yet, aright?" Walking over to his closet, she snatched up two packages of Chicken flavored Ramen and held it up. "Dinner is served."


	32. Chapter 32: November 11th (Part II)

Her fingers curled around the bowl of Ramen noodles in her hand as she leaned into Peeta's side. They were both half-dressed still, Katniss in only his t-shirt and underwear and Peeta a pair of baggy sweatpants. His skin was still flushed and hot from their tryst in his desk chair and she had to say she didn't mind the view. Mark and Cassie still hadn't returned yet, (not that she was complaining) and they were watching the weather report together on Peeta's flat screen TV. While Peeta was actually listening to the weather, she was marveling at the fact that he had a flat screen in his dorm room that was bigger than the television they had in her living room at home. How much did something like that cost, she wondered? Did he pay for it, or did his dad? She knew it didn't matter and she shouldn't care, but….after the vibrator debacle she couldn't help but wonder. She tried to push the nagging thought away as she finished her familiar college meal and waited to see just how much snow they were in for. The anchorman was chattering away about the snow while animated pictures of snowflakes fell behind him on the screen.

"We're going to be seeing more accumulation as the night goes on. Winds out of the Northwest are bringing those chilly temperatures and snowfall down into our parts, so don't expect it to let up anytime soon. We're looking at least another fourteen to sixteen inches of accumulation before tomorrow morning. After that, the winds will come in and give us some drifting. Cities officials are urging people to stay off the roads until road crews can get things cleaned up and back to safe driving conditions. Bundle up out there folks; it's gonna be one whopper of a winter storm."

Katniss leaned her head back on the futon and sighed. "At least I brought my books."

"Yeah, I was worried you wouldn't be able to study this weekend," Peeta laughed, squeezing her thigh. "I'm being sarcastic by the way."

"Hey now, I need to study," she insisted. And she did. She hadn't mentioned anything to Peeta, but she'd done some researching online and had found a nursing scholarship that his school offered. She would have to bring her GPA up to a nearly perfect score to be able to apply for it, but it was worth a shot. There was actually a sliver of hope that she might be able to transfer to his school for her senior year. She'd avoided telling him because she didn't want to get his hopes only to crush him. While she'd missed him terribly during their time apart the last few weeks, she'd secretly been hitting the books twice as hard to bring up her grades. So far, it was working. She just had to ace every single one of her finals.

Glancing over, he watched Peeta as he stared at the television. His perfectly squared jaw was clenched as he listened intently to the weather, his boyish eyes focused on the screen. Next to her mother and Prim, he was the most important person in her life. It didn't take much to convince her that all of the extra hours spent in the library were worth it; Peeta was more than worth it. He tipped his cup up and drank the rest of the soupy mix left in the bottom that was leftover from his Ramen. Katniss wrinkled her nose.

"You drink that?"

He shrugged, giving him an innocent smile. "I'm a growing boy."

"Right. So how long do you think Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber will be gone?"

Peeta glanced at the door. They'd been alone for nearly an hour after Katniss no-so-politely asked Cassie and Mark to give them some alone time, but she knew they would probably want back in the room.

"Which one is which?"

"The names can go either way," she joked. "But seriously, how much longer do I have you all to myself?"

"It's anyone's guess now that his game was cancelled. What are we gonna do when his season is over? This was one of his last games of the year."

"Ulgh," she groaned. "Save our pennies for a motel room?"

Peeta's eyes lit up. "Oooh….Sounds like a plan. Someplace seedy and cheap with a vibrating bed."

She wrinkled her nose. "Ew. You've totally imagined that before, haven't you?"

"Maybe," he admitted, taking her cup. He placed it in the bucket he kept for his dirty dishes before walking over to the area by his desk and closet. She watched as he wrinkled his nose at the blob of blue, gooey body wash that was making the entire room smell like Old Spice. "I should clean this up…"

"Nah," she shrugged, standing up. "Just let them know we had freaky sex all over the room. Can we tell Mark we had sex on his desk even though we just defiled your desk chair?"

"Not if I don't want Cassie to bust a gasket – she's gonna be tough enough to deal with for an entire weekend."

"Why don't they just stay in her room?" Katniss wondered. "Why does she always have to be here?"

Peeta winced at the mess they'd made on his floor; all of his toiletries were strewn around, half of them covered in blue goop. "Eh her roommate is kinda a bitch I guess. Always wants it quiet. She's the type that never leaves the room or goes out and calls the RA whenever Mark and Cassie get naked or remotely close to it. Mark is always bitching about her."

"Ah," Katniss sighed. It didn't seem fair that Mark always dictated who got the room, the futon, privacy, etc. She wished Peeta as a tad more assertive when it came to certain things but his sweet demeanor didn't seem to warrant that. "Well, we can make due. We'll just make them feel as awkward as they make you feel when I'm not here."

"Good luck," he snorted, opening his closet. She watched him pull out a roll of paper towels to mop up the body wash he'd squashed with his foot in the throes of passion. "They take the cake on that. I told you they have sex in the bed when they think I'm sleeping, right?

"Ew," she groaned, shaking her head. "That takes disgusting to a whole new level….they do know that right?"

"Don't seem to care. I mean….they're always under his comforter and whatnot but I'm not stupid. And once Cassie has a few drinks she'll do anything…or anyone," he snorted. "But yeah, they do it all the time and act all innocent the next day. I know what those sound are. Eeeesh," he grumbled, shuddering visibly. "It's sick to listen to that when you're trying to sleep."

"I don't want to even imagine," she sighed, standing up. She made her way over to his closet and had to smile to herself at how tidy his belongings were; his shirts were all hung up and pressed, arranged according to color. His khakis and jeans were neatly folded over hangers, and even the drawer she pulled open had his socks and underwear nearly tucked and folded into rows. Peeta looked up from the floor he was cleaning next to her feet and gave her a sheepish smile.

"My mom was really strict about our clothes growing up and I just…never fell out of the habit I guess."

Katniss shook her head and clucked her tongue at him. "Boy Scout," she teased. She grabbed a pair of his sweatpants and pulled them on, figuring Mark and Cassie would come barging back in at any minute. As soon as Peeta's too large pants were fastened around her waist they heard an impatient rapping on the door. Peeta tossed the blue paper towels in the trash and groaned before unlocking the deadbolt on the door. Cassie flounced in with a hesitant Mark behind her, whose eyes were already scanning the room as if he expected them to both still be naked. Katniss could barely surprises her smile of glee as Cassie took one look at her in Peeta's clothes and made a face.

"I hope that was enough time," she snapped, giving her a fake smile. Katniss nodded and tried not to look too guilty.

"Perfect, actually."

Mark flopped down in his desk chair and wrinkled his nose. "What's that smell?"

"It's not supposed to stop snowing for days," Cassie continued, ignoring her boyfriend's question. "We're snowed in for at least the weekend."

Peeta shrugged and sat down in the middle of the futon, pulling Katniss with him. She watched in amusement as Cassie sat on the other side of Peeta with a huff. "Can we at least watch something other than the weather?"

"Sure," Peeta said, tossing her the remote. Katniss rolled her eyes and pulled one knee up to rest beside her on the futon. The room reeked of Ramen and Old Spice and with Mark and Cassie back, the walls were quickly closing in on them. She shifted on the lumpy mattress and looked up at the window. The snow was still falling steadily, the white flakes sticking to the windowsill in an impressive clump. Peeta followed her gaze and squeezed her knee with his strong hand.

"You alright?"

She looked over at him and nodded. His blue eyes were filled with trepidation and she knew he was worried that she wasn't happy to be sharing a room with his ex-love interested for the weekend. "I'm fine. The snow is so pretty," she said quietly. She ignored Cassie's scoff of disinterest from the other side of Peeta, instead giving him a grin as he leaned over and lightly kissed her temple.

"Let's so somewhere," she whispered, meeting his gaze.

Peeta's eyes widened a little. "Again?"

She laughed and smacked his arm. "No, not for that," she whispered. "Let's just go out and enjoy the snow."

"Snowball fight?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Maybe," she agreed. He hopped off the futon, gleefully pulling her with him. His boyish smile was contagious and she realized she was grinning ear to ear as she pulled on her snow boots and reached for her coat.

"You guys are seriously going outside?" Cassie called from the futon. Peeta pulled a hat on his head and handed Katniss her beanie.

"Yes, we seriously are," he said, securing the hat on her head. She grinned up at him as he pulled it down over her ears, tucking the stray pieces of hair that had escaped her braid into the hat. They exchanged a look as Cassie muttered 'ridiculous' under her breath.

"Come on, let's go outside," she urged, grabbing his gloved hand.

"Bet it will be warmer out there than it will be in here," he joked softly, leaning down to whisper in her ear. She bit back a giggle as they opened the door to his room and took off down the hall. Once in the elevator, Katniss leaned against the wall and smirked at Peeta.

"She officially hates me."

"Who cares?" he laughed. "She hates a lot of people."

"I can't picture you with her," she admitted.

She didn't miss the brief look of hurt that crossed Peeta's face as he pushed the button to go down to the first floor. "I know. I guess neither could she."

"Hey," she said softly, reaching for his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't' mean it like that. I just mean that you're kind and sweet and caring and she's….not."

He gave a little chuckle. "I know. I just…I don't care now but it sucks to get rejected no matter how stupid the other person is. There's still the idea that someone didn't want you as much as you wanted them, ya know? It stings a little. Less and less though. I think it's more the idea than the actual person."

She nodded. "I can understand that."

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on the ground floor. She took his hand and led him out of the building and towards the snow covered quad. The sun had set, despite the fact that it was just past dinner time, and the black sky was cloudy as the snow continued to fall down. Peeta squeezed her hand as they shuffled across the snow covered street towards the middle of the quaint little campus.

"I didn't mean to say that earlier," she said. "I didn't mean to rub it in about Cassie. I…that would be hard to live with her new boyfriend.

"It's not a big deal," he insisted, dragging is boots across the pavement. "I'm more mad at myself more than anything for falling for a girl like that. We were actually friends for a long time before….well, that night. I really wanted to work the whole friend angle to get to know her because I really wanted our relationship to work. I wanted….I guess I just wanted someone. And she was there."

Katniss nodded. She had a hard time picturing Peeta falling for someone like Cassie and always had since they'd met. But she got the feeling that most of what came out of that girl's mouth wasn't all true. Katniss knew that she had to have some appealing qualities for someone like Peeta to even be interested in her.

"Why did you like her?" she asked. The question seemed wrong to ask but she needed to know for some reason. She was curious about why Peeta had been hung up on a person like that.

"Well….remember how I told you I used to be like…chubby? As a kid?"

"Yes."

"Well…I'd spent my whole youth as the pudgy sidekick. The friend, the guy that all the girls liked to pall around with and use as a backup if their dates cancelled or something. Stupid crap like that. I was always just in the background. Well, I did sports in high school and around senior year I kinda…got into shape. The baby fat melted away and I came into my own. I looked better, I felt better, I started working out more, you know…and I felt confident. I started college and felt like a whole new person to be honest and it was good. For the first time I wasn't like…just some pudgy friend. I was someone new entirely. So when I came to school and started talking to girls for the first time I got a little cocky. Cassie was in my dorm and we hung out with the same group of friends and…I duno, she was nicer then. Less of a skank I guess," he chuckled. "But she gave me attention and she was ten times more beautiful than anyone that had ever given me the time of day fore."

Katniss nodded, brushing a snowflake out of eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, Cassie was a pretty girl. Her long, wavy blonde hair hung down to the middle of her back, the white blonde highlights making her sea-green eyes pop. Her skin was smooth and tan, her nails perfectly manicured. It was hard to miss a girl like Cashmere; even she had to admit that much. Hating Cassie certainly didn't make her any less attractive.

"Would you have given me any attention?" she asked.

Peeta snorted. "Yes, but you saw how long it took me to even talk to you at Camp. I was petrified."

"You shouldn't have been. I noticed you too."

He gripped her glove hand in his as they stepped onto the snow covered quad. A few people were hurrying through, but a few others had stopped to enjoy the winter wonderland just as they were. Peeta led her over to a bench and wiped off the snow, sitting down and pulling her into his lap. He hugged her for a moment before leaning back and looking up at her. "Please don't let her ruin our weekend together. I really missed you and I don't want stupid Cassie to wreck what little precious time we have together."

"It won't," she assured him. "I just….I had to know. I'm rarely girly and insecure, but….this was one of those times when I was. I didn't mean to pry and make you re-live a lot of unpleasantness. "

He bumped his nose against hers and sighed, his breath forming white clouds in the cold air. "It's alright. I'm happier now. I think even happier now knowing how I was back then. You never appreciate what you have unless you've lived through hell before, ya know?"

She nodded. "Think we'll make it through the weekend?"

"No doubts about that," he sighed. "Now come on. Enough serious talk. We've got a snowball fight to start."

Katniss laughed, shaking her head. "You know I'm the one with the killer aim, Mellark. You sure you want to start this?"

Peeta looked up at her in the darkness, his blue eyes wide and dilated with the promise of a challenge. "Oh, I'm sure."

She hopped quickly off his lap, sliding momentarily in the thick snow. Boyfriend be damned, her brain was quickly strategizing on how to pulverize him in a snowball fight. She quickly ducked behind a set of decorative bushes and began shoveling snow towards her to make snowballs. Looking up, she spotted Peeta hunching behind a trash can doing the same. She loaded a few into her pockets and decided sabotage was in order. She stormed through the snow, her arms holding a many clumps of snow as she could muster. Peeta cried out in surprise when her first snowball pelted on the ass.

"Hey! A surprise attack!" he whined. "No fair!"

She laughed and pelted him again, this time on the back before running for cover behind the nearest try. Peeta's laughter echoed against the snow as he finished making his ammo and took aim. She heard a snowball hit the tree she was hiding behind with a muted thump. She turned around to hit him again, leaving the protection of the tree. They fired at each other form their stations for a few minutes, pausing to occasionally make more snowballs.

Katniss felt like a kid again as she quickly gathered more snow to fire at him. She hadn't truly played like this since her father was alive and he used to take her out into the woods to hunt and fish and learn about wildlife. They would even go in the winter and he would take her ice skating on a little frozen lake tucked up in the hills. She realized with a slight pang in her chest that Peeta made her laugh only the way her father could.

Used to, she reminded herself.

Turning around, she prepared another round of fire but Peeta was suddenly gone. His lumpy snow coat was no longer crouched behind the trash can and he was nowhere to be seen. She inhaled a breath of cold air as she looked around the abandoned, snow covered quad for Peeta.

"Peeta?" she finally called out.

It was silent for a moment until she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she came face to face with a red-face Peeta just as he grabbed her arms and tackled her to the snowy ground. The thick blanket of snow lessened their fall, making them both land on the snowdrift behind her with a grunt. She laughed as her forgotten snowballs were flattened in her arms, the weight of Peeta's body more than they could handle.

"Got you. Do I win? Did I beat the huntress?"

She couldn't hide her smile as she stared up at his face in the dark light. She could see his pink cheeks, kind eyes, and hopeful smile as she brushed some hair away from his eyes. "You did."


	33. Chapter 33: November 12

Katniss

They continued to play in the snow for almost an hour after that, spending time throwing snowballs, hiding, and playfully tackling each other on the dark quad. Peeta spied a few of his friends walking by and soon their snowball fight became an all-out war. More and more people joined, dropping their backpacks in the snow as they walked by to join in the fun. Before they knew it at least twenty people had joined in the fun. Panting and cold, they'd bowed out and shuffled through the deep snow across the campus to Peeta's frat house. Neither of them was ready to go back and face Mark and Cassie just yet, so she willingly agreed to extend their walk across the winter wonderland of a campus.

Katniss was slightly worried that no one would remember her back at Peeta's frat house, but her fears were instantly put to rest as Darius opened the door for them before Peeta could even punch in the lock code. He'd pulled them both into a bear hug, his drunken form wobbling slightly as she took in the smell of peppermint Schnapps and hot chocolate.

"Had a few have we?" Peeta laughed, shaking the snow out of his hair. Darius gave him a toothy grin.

"We made white Russians and hot chocolate," he giggled.

"Hot chocolate laced with what?"

Darius gave a little laugh as he watched them brush the snow off their clothes. "Little of this, little of that…mostly vodka and schnapps."

Katniss laughed out loud as Darius happily stumbled out of the foyer to another room, his happy laughter echoing off the tile floors. Peeta grabbed her hand and pulled her into the large dining room where about fifteen or so other people were sitting with drinks playing cards. The long, rectangular room was painted a deep red color with tall windows lining one wall. Ten dark wood tables and chairs were scattered about the surprisingly clean room, the smell of hot chocolate instantly making her stomach rumble. They'd worked up an appetite in the snow and the smell instantly made her thirsty. People looked up as they entered and she was immediately nervous. What if they didn't remember her? Of if they did what if they didn't like her?

They cheered when Peeta walked in, smacking him high fives and giving Katniss welcoming grins. She said hello to the people she'd met the last time she'd visited, pleasantly surprised as many of Peeta's friends gave her smiles and called out her name in greeting.

Peeta pulled out a chair and plopped himself down, pulling her into his lap. Her cheeks flamed red as she hoped the action wasn't a PDA overload. She tucked her hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear and looked around the table. No one even seemed to notice. Instead, Darius stumbled back over with two Styrofoam cups and urgently filled their hands with them.

"Try it," he slurred. He made a thumbs up sign and clicked his tongue, giving them a wink. "Just what chu'need on a cold day I promise."

"Cheers," Peeta said, holding up his cup. Katniss did the same, putting her lips to the cup and taking a sip. The hot chocolate did a good job of almost hiding the minty burn of the schnapps and she was certain something else.

"You know how to play 'Bullshit'?" Peeta asked, leaning over to rest his head against her shoulder.

She nodded. "Jo taught me last summer; we used to play it with Rue and laugh every time we got her to swear," she laughed.

Peeta grinned, handing her a stack of cards. "We're gonna play next round," he announced to the table. His friends all laughed.

"Let's hope Katniss is better at lying than Mellark is," one of them sniped with a grin.

Peeta snorted. "She'd have to be."

"You suck at this game?" she asked, elbowing his side. Peeta sipped his spiked hot chocolate and hugged her closer.

"Guess you'll find out."

Katniss inhaled a deep breath of the chilly night air, her head swimming with too much spiked hot chocolate but her body buzzing pleasantly. The three spiked hot chocolates she'd consumed had gone straight to her head making her a giggly and hot faced as they trekked back to Peeta's dorm. The snow was still steadily falling as they made their way back to the other side of campus well after midnight. Beside her, Peeta swung their clasped hands between them and let out a happy sigh. He was definitely a bad liar – most of his friends had been able to call his bluff immediately during the drinking game they'd played for the last two hours.

"I'm so happy."

She snorted. "I bet it has nothing to do with the four rounds of Bullshit you lost and the five hot chocolates you gulped down."

Peeta made a whiny noise beside her, turning his face up to the sky. "I just love youuuu…"

"Come on…let's get you home, drunkie" she laughed, tugging on his hand. He followed, his feet fumbling slightly to find their footing. He was drunk, and obviously so.

"I'm not drunk," he insisted, shaking his head. "Really, I'm just buzzed and happy."

"And drunk."

"And drunk," he agreed. He gave a sloppy shrug as they shuffled through the snowy path. "I'm just glad you're here. I missed you and its fun to hang out with you and pretend you go here."

She snorted again. "I know Peeta. I like to pretend too."

He let out another chuckle and shook his head. "If a frog had wings he wouldn't…um….do something."

She rolled her eyes and squeezed his hand. "So close," she chuckled under her breath. "I know what you mean though."

He let out a frustrated little giggle as they walked, his grin brighter than she'd seen it in a long time. By the time they finished the twenty minutes' walk to his dorm it was safe to say they'd both sobered up slightly from the cold. She shivered as Peeta fumbled with the key to his dorm, his slow hands clearly not wanting to cooperate.

"Here," she said, putting her hand over his. They turned the lock together and finally made their way into the building and into the elevator. Peeta threw his arms around her middle and pulled her up against him as they began their climb up to Peeta's floor.

"I'm cold again," he whined, "And Mark and Cassie will probably be asleep."

"What's wrong with that?"

He gave her a pleading look. "I'm not ready to go to sleep. I want to be with you again and-"

"Already?" she laughed. "You're a horny little bastard," she said, clicking her tongue at him. She was really just teasing him- for as much as she'd missed him the past few weeks she would have happily hopped into his bed again for another round. However, having roommates made that rather difficult.

Peeta drunkenly stuck out his lower lip, giving her a pitiful plea for sex.

She shook her head at him. "I'm not doing that with Mark and Cassie in the room. I'm a lot of things Mellark, but a trashy slut is not one of them."

He sighed. "I know." He shivered again, brushing more snow from his hair. "I'm gonna take a shower when we get back. I'm sweaty from running around and cold…"

The elevator doors opened up and she stepped out onto his floor with him. "Well…I could join you," she offered meekly. The last time they'd attempted a shower together back at Camp Panem things had gone rather well. It was, to say the least, an experience she'd be willing to repeat. It was well after midnight and the floor was quiet- she doubted anyone would notice a girl sneaking into the boys only showers.

Peeta raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

She shrugged. "Are they clean showers?"

"Clean enough. I wouldn't like…sit on the floor or anything but they get cleaned regularly by a cleaning crew," he mused. His eyes lit up. "You really mean it? You'd seriously get in the showers with me?"

Katniss glanced up and down the long, empty hallway of his floor. There didn't appear to be a soul in sight. The place looked relative clean, and as Peeta said she wouldn't exactly be sitting on the floor. After spending hours out in the cold it seemed like that would be a welcomed end to their evening together.

"Sure," she shrugged. Peeta linked his hands with hers again and together they hurried back to his room. Mark and Cassie were asleep in his lofted bed, huddled together as the TV played an action movie on mute. Peeta stripped down to his boxers and offered her a sheepish smile as she hid behind his closet door and stripped down to her birthday suit. He handed her his bathrobe and she slipped it on, grabbing her shower flip flops out of her weekend bag. Peeta took his shower caddy and shrugged. "I might as well actually shower," he laughed softly.

"Shhh!" she hushed him with a giggle. "I'll make sure to scrub you down."

"Is that a promise?"

They both shared a slightly drunken, excited smile before closing the door and hurrying back down the hall. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he ducked into the men's showers and motioned her forward. Katniss scurried into the bathroom after him, ducking into the last shower stall.

The showers looked a lot like the ones at her dorm back at school; a small stall with a few hooks, a bench, and a place to put a shower basket. Behind that a curtain that led to a shower stall with high tile walls with small cut outs on the top to rest bottles or soap on top of. All in all, it didn't look as bad as a boy's shower in a dorm would be, she thought. It was clean and most importantly empty.

Peeta locked the stall door behind him and gave her a little grin. "You're not supposed to be in here," he whispered, the smell of hot chocolate still on his breath, "So we'll have to be quiet.

Katniss nodded, untying his robe from her middle and slipping it off. Peeta's buzzed gaze quickly took on a hungry look as his eyes roamed down her middle, appreciatively taking in her body. She hung it up and made way towards the shower curtain. Pulling it back, she looked over her shoulder and gave him a coy look.

"Coming?"

Peeta yanked at his underwear so hard to get it off he nearly toppled over. Katniss stifled her giggles into her palm as she moved into the tile shower stall behind the curtain, turning on the faucet. Peeta joined her, yanking the curtain into place so that they had enough privacy. Katniss let her eyes fall down to his groin; he was already half hard and bouncing as he moved. She stifled another giggle as she turned the faucet to the right temperature. It didn't matter how many of them she saw; guys naked would always be a little funny to her.

The warm water cascaded over her cold, tingly skin making her entire body prickle. Satisfied that the curtain was completely closed, Peeta moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, tucking his head into the curve of her shoulder.

"I'm so happy you're here," he sighed. She smiled, backing him up until he was under the water as well. He groaned as the hot jets began to cover his body. "This feels so good. Are you available to keep me company for every shower?" he whispered.

Katniss turned in his arms and shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Sadly no, but we can make this an occurrence every time I visit. I think I've really come to enjoy our showers," she whispered back. "Now where's your soap?"

Peeta grinned, reaching through the curtain. He produced a plastic container with his soap in it, handing it to her with a flourish. Katniss raised an eyebrow. "You use Dove soap?"

"Something wrong with Dove?" he asked, giving her a sassy look. He was clearly still feeling the effects of the spiked hot chocolate as he swayed slightly under the hot spray.

"No, it's just…it's the same soap I use," she laughed. "It's a little girly is all."

Peeta pretended to pout as he grabbed the soap from her hand and gave it a long sniff. "It smells like you though….and it's nicer than those guy soaps. It makes my skin not dry and itchy, especially now that it's cold out."

She gave him a warm smile, turning her head to the side. "You use this soap because it smells like me? Awww."

He gave an embarrassed nod. "I….I sometimes use the pillow you sleep on when you stay here too. It smells like your hair for a few days afterwards and it makes me sleep easier."

She leaned forward and bumped her forehead with his. "You are too cute sometimes," she said, grabbing the soap back from him. Her hands found his shoulders and she positioned him under the spray before running the soap over his chest. "Can I wash you?"

He gave her an eager nod. His eyes twinkled in the dim light of the shower stall as she began running the bar of soap up and down his arms. It lathered easily giving the small space a clean, fresh scent. She honestly didn't mind that he used the soap; it was endearing and one of the beautiful things that made her sweet, sensitive boyfriend the person she loved so dearly. He watched her with slightly bleary eyes, his slow, languid blinks letting her know that her touches were being appreciated. Her eyes followed her hands, watching through the steam as they cupped the soap against the hard planes of his chest. She made circles with the bar across his chest, watching as his eyes dipped closed again.

"Does that feel good?"

"Amazing," he sighed. "You're sure you can't do this for me every time I shower?"

Katniss smiled. "Shhh."

She giggled quietly and continued to wash him. Over his arms….across his shoulders….over his chest….

She dipped the soap down dangerously close to his crotch, making his eyes fly open. His semi-hard manhood twitched as he shifted on his feet and sucked in a breath.

"Oh, hello," he purred, shaking his head at her. He gave her a drunken, cheesy grin that she returned. She wasn't as drunk as he was but she was still feeling slightly buzzed from the effects of the spiked drinks from earlier. That and she found she quite enjoyed running a bar of soap over Peeta's body that she missed so dearly. Being with him gave her a feeling that felt like being home.

A shudder washed over his body as she rubbed the soap against his manhood, stilling slightly as she cupped the white bar against his balls. Peeta smirked through the steam.

"I take it those are dirty?"

"Very," she deadpanned. Switching the soap to her other hand, she massaged him gently, dropping her head to watch as his cock began to swell. The thick vein that ran along the underside of him throbbed against her lathered hand as he became fully erect.

"Peeta Jr. seems to enjoy group showers," she whispered, leaning in closer. Peeta met her gaze and cocked an eyebrow at her shrugged.

"How could he not?"

Katniss laughed for a moment before narrowing her gaze. "I want to do something. Can you rinse off?"

"I'm clean already?" he joked, giving her a mock confused look.

"Just do it," she laughed.

He rinsed off and gave her an expectant look. She reached out of the curtain, quickly locating a clean washcloth. Peeta watched with a perplexed look as she placed it on the floor in front of him and teasingly pulled her lip between her teeth. Peeta's wide eyed gaze met hers and his jaw dropped open.

"We haven't done this s-since camp," he stuttered.

She nodded before sinking her knees on the washcloth, keeping her eyes on his. "I know," she whispered, pushing him back against the wall. Peeta watched with still-wide eyes as she took his erect length in her mouth and gave it a tentative lick. His choppy exhale echoed off the tile walls as he threw his head back in enjoyment. A groan left his lips before he could stifle it, making her look up.

"Shhh!" she urged. "You have to be quiet if I'm going to do this."

"Fine, fine…Oh fuck," he groaned as she resumed.

Oral sex wasn't something they got to do often. Most of the time their reunions were so sweet and hurried there wasn't much time or need for much in the way of foreplay. They were usually so worked up by the time they got together that it was all they could do to keep their pants fastened until they were in private. It was also something she wasn't as confident doing; sex was a joined effort while this was something entirely up to her. If it was bad then Peeta didn't get off. The pressure to do well at something entirely foreign to her for the most part was a little intimidating at times. It was almost as if oral sex felt a little rawer than actual sex. She frowned and tried to push her self-doubting thoughts out of her mind as she relaxed her mouth and worked more of him against her tongue.

Peeta's hips thrust forward in answer. Katniss moved her eyes up his pelvis, watching as his stomach muscles clenched as she circled his tip with her tongue.

It wasn't bad, actually. The act was very different from what she'd originally pictured. When she'd been in sex education as a girl in junior high finding out about blow jobs she'd been completely horrified. To put her mouth….there? It seemed disgusting and all together ridiculous. And worse, to get on her knees and do it? It seemed like the ultimate anti-feministic thing to do at the time. She even clearly remembered swearing to never do such a disgusting, degrading act.

But now….she understood.

Now it was just another way to show this man, this wonderfully sweet, caring, attentive man that she loved him. She wanted him, she lusted after him, and she cared about him. Any of the guys that had flirted with her or hit on her in the past were just another reminder that she would never want to do such a personal thing to them.

But Peeta was different.

She knew he'd do anything for her and that was what made her want to offer herself up to perform such an act. He was also unassuming and sweet, never demanding that she go down on him. It was today what it was back at camp Panem – a welcomed surprise that he would never request. It was something instead that she wanted to do. Additionally, Peeta was always one for hygiene, which might sound silly to some but actually made a lot of difference to her.

His groan of approval brought her back to the present and out of her thoughts. Her tongue stroked at the underside of his length, making his knees quiver.

"Shit, I…"

Katniss broke away from him and looked up. "You have to be quiet….shhh…"

Peeta let out a little mewl of frustration as his fist gently pounded against the tile wall. It was crampt, dimly lit and steamy in the dorm shower but she wasn't complaining. The time between their last shower at camp and this one was far too long in her opinion.

She moved her mouth up and down, taking as much of him as she could. The hot water rolled down her back, tickling her feet as she used her free hand to grip his muscled thigh. She could feel the tell-tale tremors in his legs that meant he was close. She didn't have a whole lot of experience with oral, but she could surmise what would feel good and what didn't. Pulling away, she circled his tip with her tongue before plunging her mouth back against him. Peeta gasped and shuddered with a deep, uneven breath.

"Fuck," he hissed through his teeth. Feeling bold (or still slightly drunk) she pulled away and let her eyes flick up to meet his.

"Is this good?"

Peeta answered by winding one hand in her wet hair and pulling back towards his groin. She placed his tip against her lips and couldn't hide her smile; it was always so entertaining to see her calm, sweet Peeta come so undone.

He added his second hand to her hair, twisting it against her scalp as he held her to him. The rushed, choppy sighs coming from his lips as she twisted her mouth and sucked were actually turning her on. He groaned quietly and visibly fought to keep himself from making too much noise; a glance upwards confirmed that he had his bottom lip clenched between his teeth. She relaxed her jaw and sucked him further into her mouth, using her tongue to coax his orgasm out. Peeta came in deep spurts down her throat, the warm liquid surprising her slightly. She swallowed more out of surprise than anything; it was the first time he hadn't warned her.

"Oh shit…I'm sorry, I…"

She coughed slightly, gagging before she could control it. She shook her head and had to laugh. "It's okay Peeta. I just…you surprised me is all."

He pulled her up from her knees and pinned her against the wall. "I didn't mean to not warn you, I just….shit, I didn't mean for that to happen."

Katniss swallowed roughly, shaking her head. "It's alright. I was going to swallow anyway, I just…you surprised me. And I gagged. How humiliating," she chuckled, shaking her head. She gave a quiet laugh and watched as the water droplets fell from the tips of his blonde hair.

"You swear you're alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"I didn't mean to-"

"Peeta," she insisted, "its fine. People swallow sometimes, it's not an issue. I didn't…I mean besides the accidental gagging it was…fine. Nice, even."

His blue eyes widened through the steam. "You…wow, ok. That's incredibly hot for some reason. Wow, uh…"

She was about to laugh before Peeta leaned forward, trapping her against his body and the wall. His lips assaulted hers, his tongue automatically prying her mouth open as his hands found her cheeks. She groaned without meaning to as he kissed her, his naked body pressed up against hers. His tongue mingled with hers, twisting and tasting like they hadn't kissed in weeks. Katniss gasped into his mouth as he pressed his warm, slick body against hers with a new sense of purpose. He broke away and eyed her with a saucy gaze.

"Now what are we gonna do about you, Miss Everdeen?"

She smiled wickedly in response.


	34. Chapter 34: November 12th (Part II)

Peeta

"Now what are we gonna do about you, Miss Everdeen?"

His head swam with thoughts and ideas of what exactly he could do to her. He felt like a kid in a candy shop. Katniss was pinned against the tile wall, practically every inch of her slick, warm body pressed up against his. He could already feel his body recovering from the mind-blowing orgasm she'd just given him minutes earlier. The coiling in his abdomen let him know that he would soon be ready to go again.

Oh, the joys of being young, he thought with a smirk. Katniss raised one eyebrow.

"What are we going to do about me?" she echoed, giving him a coquettish smile. Her wet hair hung down over her shoulders, the chocolate strands jet black under the water and moving slightly against her skin. Peeta reached forward pushing the silky tendrils over her shoulder as he parted her thighs with his knee. Even under the hot sprays of water he could feel her answering wetness.

"Are you turned on?" he asked in a low voice.

She nodded slowly, exhaling against his cheek.

"Tell me," he demanded. He raised an eyebrow, the buzz from earlier giving him a slightly sassy demeanor that he didn't normally have.

"Y-yes," she said slowly, nodding choppily.

"I can tell," he whispered through the steam. Katniss grinned and nodded – he guessed she was maybe still feeling the effects of the drinks they'd had earlier as well. Moving closer he cupped one of her breasts underneath the hot sprays of water and grinned as she let out a light sigh.

"What are you doing now?" she whispered. Peeta grinned, lightly pinching the tip and then rubbing it with his palm. The skin hardened immediately, already practically begging for more.

"Just…checking you for frostbite," he said, giving her a boyish grin. Katniss shook her head.

"I don't think I have frostbite there."

He shrugged, moving to her other side. He lightly massaged and teased it as well, glancing down through the streams of water as it hardened too.

"You never know," he reasoned, "We were out there awhile. Let me check it out."

Katniss' chest rose and fell with silent laughter as he placed his lips on her collar bone. He slowly slid his mouth down her chest, lightly licking at her skin as he moved. When his mouth circled one pointed tip and she gasped, he pulled away to smile.

"Good thing I checked. This definitely has frostbite. Maybe I can fix it with my mouth…hmmm…"

"You're drunk," she laughed. "But….oh," she gasped as his mouth closed over her, "Check away."

He flicked his tongue over her peak, switching to the other side when he had her moaning.

"Does that side have frostbite too?" she managed to whisper.

He nodded, glancing up at her as he brushed the wet hair away from his eyes. Katniss' gaze dilated as she watched him return to his work. He felt her fingers tangle in his hair as he continued to lick and suck at her stiff peaks.

"Oh…."

He broke away and straightened back up. Katniss gave him a coy smile through the streams of hot water and raised an eyebrow in question. He loved this; she was constantly wondering what he was going to do next.

Fuck she's hot, he thought. How did I end up with her again?

Peeta leaned forward, brushing her wet hair away from her face with one hand and cradling her hip in the other. He felt himself smiling against her lips and then her teeth as their mouths connected. She only smiled, teasingly refusing him.

"Kiss me," he pleaded playfully. He pulled away to her answering grin.

"I still can't believe I'm in a boys' shower in a dorm," she laughed. "So gross and yet…strangely hot."

"Yeah? Then kiss me."

She allowed it this time, parting her lips eagerly as his tongue immediately sought entrance. They twisted together and teased, playfully fighting for dominance as they kissed. He let her win – he always did. He pulled away and couldn't hold back his drunken grin.

"You still taste like chocolate."

Katniss snorted before kissing him again. Peeta worked his tongue back into her mouth, greedily sucking and licking at the lingering chocolate taste. Katniss leaned back against the wall with a sigh, breaking the kiss to tilt her neck back. Peeta began trailing kisses down her jaw to her neck when she suddenly opened her eyes and jumped forward.

"Ew, the wall," she whimpered, giving a worried glance back at the shower wall.

"They just got cleaned this morning," he coaxed, pinning her back against the tiled wall. He felt her shudder and laugh.

"Fine, but if I'm going to lean against a shower wall that probably gets jizzed on twenty different ways a day I'm taking a real shower after our little…thing we got goin' here," she said, leaning forward to nuzzle her nose against his. Peeta snorted.

"I may or may not have thought about you and 'jizzed' in this shower before," he sighed, running his nose across hers. He trailed it down her cheek, over her jaw, and back to her neck. He hummed against her slick, sweet smelling skin and felt himself harden further against her thigh. Katniss bumped her hips forward in answer, the wet skin sliding against his manhood in a pleasing manner. He groaned into her neck and let his teeth scrape across the skin as he held her hip in one hand and let the other fall to the short hairs below her pelvic bone. Brushing his fingers across her several times, he took a moment to appreciate the way she shuddered in pleasure and anticipation.

"You are so…." He whispered, the words leaving him. Sexy didn't seem right. "Unbelievable."

"No I'm not," she laughed. "I'm just your girlfriend so you have to find me sexy."

"That helps, yeah."

She started to giggle again but promptly stopped when his fingers slid lower. He circled her clit with the pads of his first two fingers, lightly prodding and teasing. Katniss leaned against the shower wall again, her eyes falling closed. The steam in the tiny shower stall was thick around them as he chewed his lip and watched her face as he brought her closer and closer. Katniss let out another soft moan of approval before one of her hands left his shoulders and suddenly grabbed her breast. Peeta watched in rapt fascination as she touched herself – seriously touched herself – in front of him. Her olive, nimble fingertips lightly pinched at one of her nipples as he increased his pressure. He wondered if she did that when she was alone and almost came against her leg.

"Oh Peeta…" she groaned, rolling her head from side to side against the wet tiles. Peeta bit his lip to keep from moaning loudly and kept at it, willing himself to calm down. This was about her.

Katniss gasped and opened her eyes, tilting her hips further forward. He watched her through the streams of hot water and steam, her silvery eyes clouded with lust. "I want…"

He exhaled deeply, realizing she was trying to say something but was too taken with pleasure to speak. Satisfaction surged through him.

"What do you want?" he whispered, leaning forward. He let his mouth brush the shell of her ear momentarily, smiling when she cried out in frustration.

"Y-…y-…you," she finally managed to stammer. He looked down as she took her free hand that wasn't clutching his shoulder and wrapped it around his now hardened member. He gasped at the contact, his eyes falling closed as her warm, slick palm suddenly encased him.

"Oh…K-Katniss," he groaned.

"I want you," she whispered again. He barely had time to realize what was happening as Katniss hitched one of her legs around his waist, pulled his hip forward, and sunk his cock into her. He gasped wildly for air as he realized he was inside of her with nothing separating them.

"Ooooh…" she gasped, struggling to catch her breath. "You feel so good…"

She jerked her hips forward and back, the motion making both of them exhale in enjoyment as their bodies connected in the most intimate of ways.

Holy shit...I'm not wearing anything. Oh god…

Peeta savored the feeling for a beat before gently pushing her leg down and pulling out. The absence of her slick heat was already maddening as he gulped for air and struggled to stay reasonable. He wasn't wearing a condom; in fact, they were still back in the box in his room. What was she doing? He was still slightly buzzed and so was she, but what did this mean?

"Wait," he said. "I don't have anything here."

Katniss opened her eyes and shrugged. "I'm on the pill. It's okay Peeta, we can….do this. I swear its okay."

He frowned. "You're sure?"

She nodded. "I'm very good about it and I've been on it long enough now that it will work. I've read about this for hours to be sure, just….please," She said hoarsely, "I just want to feel you."

Her grey eyes flicked up to meet his and the pleading look in them shocked him. After getting so scared and panicked the first time he certainly didn't expect this to happen so soon. He figured they would wait awhile before actually just relying on the pill for birth control but the tone in her voice clearly stated otherwise. "Please."

He wasn't about to make her beg.

Reaching down, he grabbed one of her legs and hitched it back on his hip, holding it there with one hand. He wrapped the other hand around her back and positioned himself at her center. It was dim in the shower but he could clearly see the place he very much wanted to be. He paused, his eyes watching as the water droplets slid down her stomach past her swimsuit tan line left from camp.

"You're sure?"

She nodded frantically and bit her lip. Peeta locked his hips and clenched his jaw as he silently willed himself not to blow his load the second he entered her. If they were going to do this he wanted it to last, damn it. Katniss cried out as he pushed into her, the high pitched noise ringing against the tiled walls.

"Ohhh..shhh," he managed to gasp. Opening his eyes he saw that Katniss' were tightly closed as she leaned against the shower wall. He pulled out slowly, thrusting back in when he couldn't bear to not be inside of her. They both groaned in quiet unison as he set a slow, torturous rhythm.

She felt like nothing he could have ever imagined. When he was a kid he'd seen the movie where the guy wanted to know what a girl felt like so he'd screwed a warm apple pie on his mother's kitchen counter. As completely bizarre as that had seemed at the time, he finally understood a little of what the horny teen in the movie stupidly trying to recreate. His jaw dropped open as he thrust against her, skin on skin, savoring the feeling. No wonder that kid tried to screw a pie. Shit, this is amazing, he thought. He bit back his smile and tried to concentrate as best he could to make this last. Her warm, inviting walls were softer and…and…

He soon realized he had no words to describe the bliss he felt. He gasped and opened his eyes to look at her.

"Oh Peeta…Oh my God, you feel so good," she keened, reaching up to touch his face. Her fingers scraped against his jaw as she suddenly lost all control of her limbs. Peeta realized her legs were shaking from standing on one for too long, but he wasn't about to try to hold her up against the wall like he'd seen in pornos before. He'd seen the tan, muscled men in the internet videos holding the girl in their bulging arms as she bounced happily away on top of his cock. He was at least sober enough to know he could never handle that. Instead he pulled out long enough to switch her legs around his waist, cupping her ass in his free hand.

Fuck she feels good.

"I'm…not going to last," he panted between thrusts. He felt sheepish to admit it, but he knew he wouldn't last long under the current circumstances.

Katniss nodded. "I'm so close, I…."

"Touch yourself," he pleaded breathlessly. Katniss opened her eyes in question, the silver orbs widening slightly at his suggestion. "Just do it. I know you can. Just touch yourself for me. I want you to come before I do," he pleaded. "I'm sorry I just-"

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "It's okay."

He watched mesmerized as Katniss trailed a hand down her stomach, her breasts bouncing slightly with his slow thrusts. By the time her first two fingers brushed across the apex between her thighs he was so tightly wound he thought he would bust. A tight, labored mewl came from her lips as she circled the bundle of nerves a few times in time with his hips. Peeta stared down at the place where they were joined, suddenly unable to look away. He groaned in ecstasy and shook the water droplets out of his eyes as he struggled to stay in control. He knew it wouldn't be long – he could feel himself drawing close a second time.

Katniss' hips bucked forward suddenly, plunging her warmth as close to his body as she could. He gasped at the sudden depth, his hands gripping her ass and hip as she increased her pace.

"Oh….oh…" she wailed softly, inhaling a choppy breath. Peeta increased his thrusts against her welcoming walls, shuddering as her muscles clenched around him as she came. She let out another breathy wail of pleasure before he joined her only a few seconds later.

"I have to pull out," he gritted out through his teeth.

She nodded and dropped her leg, still trying to catch her breath. Peeta pulled out of her body as he came, his second orgasm hitting him even harder than the first. Falling forward, he rested his forehead against her shoulder as he slumped over and gasped for breath. His body was reeling as he fought to keep his knees from quaking and falling over in the shower.

"Oh fuck," she sighed. "Peeta…"

"I know," he groaned, shaking the water out of his eyes again. He panted through the steam, watching as she too fought to stand. They leaned against each other under the hot sprays for a moment when his worst nightmare came true.

A voice from outside the shower stall made them both jump.

"I'm gonna need whatever resident that is in this shower to exit the bathroom. Guest too," a man announced.

He met her eyes through the steam and realized her wide orbs probably matched his.

"Oh fuck," he mouthed.

Peeta squirmed on the couch the next day as he waited to hear his fate. After exiting the shower, the Resident Advisor on hallway patrol had let Katniss dress and go back to Peeta's room by herself. He then informed Peeta that he was getting written up and he needed to report to his office the next day to discuss his dorm infraction that afternoon.

He looked up sheepishly, twisting his mouth in embarrassment as the R.A. named Chris looked over his clipboard at him from the other side of the room. He moved to sit in the chair diagonally from Peeta, running his hand through his hair nervously. The guy didn't look too much older than him – maybe in his mid-twenties. Resident Advisors on his campus were usually grad students looking for a cheap place to live and a job that would support their study habits. They could sit in the front office for nine hours and study the entire time; they had to take ten minutes each hour to do a random safety patrol of the hallways, but that was all they had to do on a typical shift.

"About last night…"

Peeta winced. "I'm sorry."

"Now you know I was doing the safety patrol last night when I caught you. I wasn't seeking someone to bust," Chris started out.

Peeta looked at the floor. "Yeah…."

"Peeta, you seem like a good kid…."

"I am!" Peeta stammered quickly, looking up with pleading eyes. Please don't call my parents, please don't call my parents. I don't think I could take another humiliating experience.

"….which is why I'm not calling your parents."

Peeta exhaled.

"You seem like a great guy – your R.A. has never once complained to me about you. I've had complaints or write ups from almost everyone on your floor for at least one infraction, but this is your first. I'm willing to overlook this…lapse in judgment if you promise to just keep your uh…guests out of the shower from now on."

"Seriously?"

Chris nodded. "Seriously. It's against the rules to have girls in a guy's only bathroom. Some of the guys – not all of them, but some – would have a problem having females in their showers and restrooms. I just have to enforce the rules. It's nothing personal."

"No, I understand," Peeta said heavily. "It won't happen again. I made a poor choice and-"

He held up his hand. "None of that now. It's cool. Just stay out of the showers with girls, alright?"

Peeta quickly agreed and they stood to go. Peeta thought he was going to shrivel up and die, maybe melt straight into the floor out of humiliation when Chris stopped him.

"Listen, I know I'm an R.A, but I was gonna say that the only reason I went into the bathroom was that I heard her uh…noises of approval," he smirked. He held up his hand and smacked a confused high five with Peeta. "Nice work dude. Now get back to that girl," he chuckled.

Peeta felt his face grow hot as he managed to nod in agreement. He heard the amused chuckles behind him as he tore out of the office and toward the elevators.

It could be worse, he told himself.

Peeta opened the door to his room, grinning as he realized Katniss was still curled up on his futon. She looked over at him and gave him a shaky smile as she shook his head at her.

"How bad was it?"

He shrugged. "Honestly…not bad. They wrote me up and thank god they aren't calling my parents. But I'll have to behave the rest of the year and I'm sure they'll be 'watching me'," he said, quoting the air. He rolled his eyes. "The guy that caught us was just the weekend patrol I guess. He was all stern at first and then he actually high fived me when it was over with. I thought I might die of humiliation," he chuckled.

"Well it's official. I can never show my face in this dorm again," she grumbled, shaking her head. Peeta flopped down on the futon next to her, placing his head in her lap. She cradled his head in her hands and looked down at him. "What am I gonna do with you?"

He gave her a boyish grin. "Love me forever and ever and have quieter orgasms in the shower?"

She lightly smacked his head and turned her attention back to the TV. Peeta watched her profile as she stared at the television, reaching up to play with the end of her braid.

"Are you mad?"

"At what?" she snorted.

"That we got in trouble."

Katniss gave him a crooked smile. "I'm not in trouble; I don't even go here. What can they do to me?"

"Good point. I just meant that we got caught."

She laughed a little and finally pressed 'mute' on the TV. "No. I'm just glad we got caught as things were…slowing down. Not in the middle, if you know what I mean. Although I'm sure he heard me losing my shit in the shower anyway at least he had the decency to not say anything until we were finished. I'm a little freaked out that some guy heard me coming, yeah, but…" she shrugged.

Peeta nodded. "Well at least he knows that I know how to get a girl to make those noises. Chalk that up to something I never thought I would be able to do."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. I mean at least he overheard good sex. Not like, 'Oh god, don't put it there'!" he trilled in a girlish voice. He rolled his eyes. "I've heard that one a few times from across the room late at night."

"Ewwww…" Katniss grumbled. "The more I know about those two the more I dislike them."

"Yeah, well…."

"I just wish it was easier for us to…you know, have time together. I'd like more…spontaneous events like that."

He smiled up at the bottom of his bed, curling closer to her on the futon. "Yeah?"

She looked away and smiled demurely. "Maybe. It was….nice."

"You're okay with it? I mean…that we didn't…use anything?"

She nodded and his heart soared. Of course it had been different and good and a little scary to not use a condom for the first time, but he was glad she was on board with it and wasn't regretting it. The feeling of being with Katniss like that was something he wouldn't soon forget. However, he didn't want a repeat of a few months ago when they had their pregnancy scare.

"No," she continued, "It was fine. I mean…I take my pill every day, same time, I've never screwed it up or missed one. I don't think we should do that…method…every time, but sometimes I think its okay. I wouldn't do it all the time because the odds have never been in my favor when it comes to luck."

Peeta nodded. "I get what you mean. I just didn't want you to worry."

"No," she said quickly. "I mean…you didn't finish…inside," she said awkwardly, shrugging. "And I was standing up. Shouldn't gravity count for something?'

Peeta guffawed loudly. "Well, I'm not sure about that. Don't think that one has been medically proven but it makes sense, doesn't it?"

She laughed with him and shook her head. "Well, I think it counts for something," she insisted. They smiled at each other as she stroked his hair in her lap. "I wish we could do that more often."

"Me too," he said softly. "I wish….I wish you went here. I know that's a touchy subject but I really do. I'd give anything for you to come here with me."

Katniss sighed and looked away. "I know Peeta but we've been over this. I can't afford to go here."

Peeta sat up suddenly, his eyes bright with an idea. "What if I helped you?"

Katniss balked and gave him a wide eyed look of disgust that let him know he had clearly just said the wrong thing.

"It's just…a thought," he added meekly.

Katniss pushed his hand away as he reached for her, jumping up from the futon. "Peeta…we've been over this! I'm not just some…some toy you get to pay for. I know you love me but you can't pay for my college degree!" she hissed. Peeta watched in panic as her face turned red in anger and she angrily pushed her hair back. "I'm so sick of this!"

"Katniss…wait; I was just trying to help. I just want-"

She held up her hands, cutting him off. "I know Peeta, but offering to pay for the rest of my college just so I can go here too is not what I wanted to hear."

Peeta watched with slackened jaw as she pushed past him and grabbed her sweatshirt. "I'm going for a walk," she snapped, yanking open the door and slamming it behind her.


	35. Chapter 35: November 12th (Part III)

Katniss

She knew as soon as she'd said the words that she'd made a mistake. The look on Peeta's face as she announced she was going for a walk had been one of pure shock – he clearly didn't realize that what he said was anything but a gracious offer. Something in her mind told her that, but it still upset her so much that she knew she had to get out of there, overreaction or not. It was too late to turn back now, her pride told her. She felt her cheeks flame up in embarrassment as she slammed the door behind her and took off down the hall. She faltered a few steps later, realizing she couldn't really go anywhere – it was in the middle of the biggest snowstorm the state had seen in years and she was without shoes, a coat, or even a key to Peeta's building. Even the elevators took a student ID to operate.

Rounding the corner of the hallway, she almost collided with a blonde figure. Cassie snorted.

"Going somewhere?" she asked snidely. Katniss groaned internally – why did she have to run into Cassie now of all moments? This was too much.

"Away from here," Katniss snapped, not even pausing a beat.

Cassie called after her. "Did you get into a fight with lover boy?"

Katniss kept walking, ignoring Cassie smug chuckle behind her. She didn't have the time or the patience to deal with that girl right now. Well, at least without punching her.

Feeling helpless, she walked around the corner to the student study lounge on Peeta's floor. Each level of his fancy dorm had one; it was just room lined with slightly outdated wooden benches and tables for students to use to study. It was empty so she walked inside and flopped down on the worn cushions. She just needed to cool down and relax for a minute and stay away from Peeta before she said something mean that she didn't mean and would ultimately regret. He didn't deserve harsh words said in the heat of the moment when her temper had gotten the better of her and she knew it.

She felt horrible for snapping at Peeta when he didn't deserve it; he was the epitome of a supportive boyfriend. Of course he didn't know why she'd flown off the handle at him was probably in his dorm room imagining the worst.

You're a fucking idiot Everdeen, she told herself. You don't deserve a guy as supportive and kind as Peeta. He thought he was helping and you acted like a huffy brat and threw his words back at him because you're a coward.

She shook her head at herself and silently cursed her stupid mouth for saying such nasty things to him. Overreacting seemed to be a theme for her this year; she was under so much stress having a long distance relationship, a course load full of tough classes, and was trying to get the highest grades she could possibly get this semester. Her emotions had gotten the better of her for what felt like the hundredth time that year.

A small laugh escaped her lips as the irony of it all hit her; she was in a bad mood from all the stress of trying to transfer to Peeta's school to be with him, yet the only thing they fought about was the fact that she wasn't attending the same school as him. Of course she could always tell him what she was trying to do, but what if it didn't work? What if she blew her finals, choking out of stress, and watched all of her hopes for transferring go down the drain? Then Peeta would be even more upset, right?

She couldn't decide which was worse; not telling him and not getting his hopes up in the first place, or admitting that she was trying to transfer and possibly letting him down when it didn't work out?

Katniss chewed the inside of her mouth as she stared at the wooden desk in front of her. Her gut told her to just tell him – at least he wouldn't bring up ridiculous ideas like the one he'd just thrown at her before she'd stormed out. The idea of Peeta paying for her education was ludicrous. The idea of owing him for her education on top of everything else he'd done for her would undoubtedly be a crushing feeling that she would never be able to handle. How would she explain that to her mother? Or to Prim? I gave up and let my rich boyfriend pay for my school Prim. The hard work just wasn't something I could handle.

No, she decided, she wouldn't do that. It wasn't fair to Peeta or to her to put that type of burden on their relationship, no matter how secretly appealing it was.

Sometimes she just felt overwhelmed by it all. It was like Peeta was trying to convince her that the switch would be a good one - of course she wanted to go to his school. It was a private school, and one with one of the best nursing programs in that part of the country. It boasted small class size, better job placement, and of course the number one appealing factor of them all; Peeta was there.

But that brought her to another problem. What if things didn't work out between them? What if they broke up? It was a tiny campus and she knew she'd seen him at least every other day. There were only seven academic buildings on the entire campus as opposed to her school's thirty six. The odds that she would run into him at practically every turn were there. If she even could afford to someday transfer, there would be added pressure to even make the relationship work. She could barely contemplate how miserable she would be if she made the stressful move of schools only to have her relationship with Peeta fail.

Something you're already succeeding at, she told herself miserably. She'd been gone almost twenty minutes already; knowing Peeta, he probably thought she was honestly still angry with him, not herself. In all honesty, she wanted to kick herself for overreacting the way she had. It wasn't fair to Peeta, or to their relationship. He had the kindest heart she'd ever known and she knew without a doubt that he hadn't made that suggestion in hopes of hurting her.

Get a grip, her mind echoed. Go apologize before he gets even more upset.

Heaving a sigh, she stood up and made her way out of the lounge and back down the hall. She owed Peeta an apology and probably more; she was busy listing off a few sexually related favors in her head when she arrived at his door. It was cracked open partway and she didn't hesitate to step inside.

Her eyes widened as she realized Peeta wasn't the only person in the room. A small gasp left her mouth as she realized Cassie had Peeta pinned against the desk, her mouth firmly latched onto his. Peeta hadn't seen her yet as he roughly shoved Cassie away and hurriedly wiped his mouth. Cassie's eyes flicked to Katniss then back to Peeta as she gave another one of her smug little laughs.

Realizing they weren't alone, Peeta's eyes widened. "Katniss!"

Rage she didn't know she was capable of boiled up inside of her so fast it made her head momentarily spin. She felt her eyes narrow at the blonde bimbo Barbie in front of her as Cassie gave her a knowing smirk.

Cassie had been kissing Peeta.

Her Peeta.

"Katniss, this wasn't what it-"

Katniss held up her hand. "Peeta, I know." She looked over at Cassie who was doing her best to maintain an innocent look while somehow still keeping the smugness to her features.

"I didn't-"

"Peeta, just….be quiet a second," she gently pleaded before turning back to Cassie. The blonde girl raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't realize you were coming back….oops," she sniffed.

Katniss felt the tips of her ears grow hot. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

Peeta gave a sharp exhale. "Katniss, I didn't kiss her I swear-"

"Peeta," she sighed, turning to him with an exasperated look. "I know you didn't kiss Cassie. If I couldn't already tell by the horrified freaking look on your face that you didn't want to kiss her, then I would just remember that you're you and you wouldn't do that to me. And besides," she sighed, turning back to Cassie, "I know you wouldn't willingly make out with the girl that broke your heart."

The smug look on Cassie face's instantly dissipated. She bit her lip and faltered for a second before lifting up her chin.

"You guys were fighting and I came in here to talk to him. Peeta was just emotional and we kissed; don't have a cow about, Katniss."

Katniss scoffed loudly. "Listen, I know Peeta didn't just kiss you out of the blue when I'm right down the hall, okay? That doesn't even make any sense. If he was going to cheat on me don't you think he'd wait until I was at least not in the same building? How stupid do you think I am?" she asked. When Cassie couldn't come up with an answer, she gave a bitter laugh.

"You disgust me," she sighed, shaking her head. Beside her, Peeta slumped against the desk. "You had a person as wonderful as this guy right here and you just used him, plain and simple. He told me how you treated him, Cassie. Why would he ever kiss you? He knows now what you're capable of."

"What happened between us is just that –between us," Cassie snapped. "And I don't appreciate you running around talking about me, I mean….talk about class-less."

Katniss reeled. "You want to talk classless? Peeta is probably the hottest, kindest, and sweetest person you'll ever meet and you threw him away like a piece of trash. The sad thing is that now that I have him, you won't rest until you toy with his emotions again and make him even more confused than he was in the first place. And I think the definition of classless is kissing someone else's boyfriend – especially when you have your own. What do you think Mark will think of this? Huh?"

Cassie's face paled slightly and Katniss knew she'd won. Of course she knew it was ridiculous to fight with a girl like Cassie, but she wasn't about to let her get away with this. It was obvious that Peeta didn't kiss her willingly; he'd looked downright horrified. Cassie had simply seen an opportunity and taken it like the snake that she knew her to be. Now that her hopes of getting in-between Katniss and Peeta were crushed, the panicky look on her face was obvious; she didn't want Mark to find out either.

"Exactly," Katniss muttered, shaking her head. "You can't have Peeta. You had that chance, and you blew it. And now for some reason….his roommate wants you. And you just threw that away too. Might want to examine yourself and realize what it is you're looking for. I'll give you a hint; you're not going to find it here."

"Is it so wrong that I just want Peeta to be happy?" Cassie snapped. "You two were fighting! I was only trying to comfort a friend….you don't need to turn it into some awful thing!"

"If you think that kissing him while he's fighting with me is going to make things better than you are delusional. I should tell Mark what happened just for that fact alone," Katniss snapped. She knew she was being mean, but she'd absolutely had it with this girl. Besides, Peeta looked too shocked and panicky and sweaty to even get a sentence together. And to think Cassie wanted her to believe he'd kissed her on purpose! She felt her cheeks grow hot with anger. This was the last straw.

"If you tell Mark then he's going to break up with me and kick Peeta's ass," she sniped. "How does that fix anything?"

Katniss could hear the tremble in the other girl's voice. She was bluffing and Katniss knew it.

"Leave now, and don't come back for the rest of the weekend. Keep your hands off my boyfriend if you're smart. Pay attention to your own boyfriend who inexplicably thinks you're neat. And oh," she added, giving her a glare, "If he's so important to you, stop kissing other people's boyfriends and start acting like a lady, not a whore."

She watched as Cassie's eyes filled up with tears. "You're a bitch," she hissed, shaking her blonde head at her. Pushing past the pair, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut with a deafening crack. Katniss exhaled, her shoulders slumping as she turned back to Peeta.

He gaped at her with wide blue eyes. "I…I…."

Katniss held up her hand. "Peeta, I know you didn't kiss her."

He exhaled sharply and inched closer to her as if she were a bomb that was ready to explode. Katniss ran her hands through her hair and exhaled; she sort of felt like she was about to combust, even though it was physically impossible. It felt good to tell Cassie off – amazingly good. After so many months of hearing the stories and seeing her bitchy behavior and just knowing her it felt amazing to finally put her in her place.

"Katniss, I'm sorr-"

She turned to Peeta and held her finger up against his lips. "Don't. Peeta, come on. I've seen too many after school movies where the slut kisses the boyfriend and the girlfriend sees and they blow up and fight and eventually break up. I know how that story ends and that's not us. Right?"

Peeta nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Exactly. I knew you wouldn't have kissed her even though we were fighting. I know you, and….that's not you."

"Thank you," he sighed, his blue eyes flooding with relief. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and inched closer. "I'm so sorry regardless though. That couldn't have been easy to see."

Katniss grabbed his hand and led him over to the futon, pulling him down with her. She wasted no time putting her legs in his lap. She was still shaking slightly with anger but she really just wanted to know how the entire thing went down. "Tell me what happened."

Peeta let his head flop against the back of the futon. "You left and I just….I froze. I freaked out. I knew I'd pissed you off and I just wanted to give you a minute. Then I'm just standing there debating what to do when she comes in and asks if we had a fight. I told her yes and she asked if I wanted to talk about it. I just said that I said something stupid to you and…and just….things got out of hand and you had to get some space."

"I'm sorry I did that. I….guess I have a tendency to overreact," she said meekly. "Ooops."

Peeta gave her a wry smile. "Yeah, a tendency," he snorted. "Well, she was just listening to me talk and before I knew it she was telling me that….well…uh, that I deserved better. I was about to argue when she just grabbed my face and just kissed me," he sighed. "I didn't mean for it to happen, Katniss, I swear."

"I would have deserved it," Katniss sighed, reaching for Peeta's hand. "I know you didn't mean to upset me. I flew off the handle at you and you didn't deserve that. I…."

"I didn't know it would upset you, but I get it now," he added hopefully.

"Leave it to me to overreact. I pride myself on not being the typical…girlie girl that cries at every other little insignificant thing and then I go and do something senseless like that. Freaking out at something stupid and flying out of the room is such a….I duno, typical response. I've never been like that. This is new to me I guess," she sighed. "Can you forgive me?"

Peeta's eyes widened and he shook his head. "I…there's nothing to forgive. I shouldn't have said it and I should have…I guess pushed Cassie away sooner?"

She laughed. "I'm weirdly not mad about that. I mean, anger aside the look on your face after you pushed her away was priceless. You look like you'd just watched someone barf or something."

Peeta snickered. "I couldn't help it! I was surprised and then I realized what was happening and I it just felt…wrong. I didn't want to kiss her at all. But I mean….I guess I'm kinda glad she kissed me."

Katniss raised an eyebrow in question. "Come again?"

He gave her a dopey smile. "Yah. I'm glad she kissed me," he repeated, tightening his grip on her legs. He pulled her close and placed a wet kiss on her cheek that made her wince and wipe it away. "It made me realize how much I love kissing you," he finished, placing another trio of wet kisses on her cheeks and nose. He ended his sloppy trail on her mouth, groaning against her lips. He broke away and gave her a shit-eating grin.

Katniss wiped her mouth off and feigned being grossed out. "Fine, fine."

"No, seriously," he promised. "It was like kissing Rye - sick and wrong in every conceivable way," he laughed. "It felt wrong. And it made me value kissing you even more than I already do."

She wrinkled her nose. "Suck up."

His grin faded as he reached over and touched her cheek. "I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean to make you upset. I just want you here. Badly."

Katniss leaned back against the cushion and gazed over at him. "You don't sound much like a boyfriend who wants to go around willingly kissing other girls."

Peeta's lips twitched until he couldn't fight back the smile. "You'd be right. Thank you for not being upset with me."

"I'm not upset at all. I'm happy you're as forgiving as you are," she admitted. "Sorry for the girly freak out. Can we just forget this past….oh, hour ever happened?"

"You seem so sure," he sighed. "What if I really had been kissing her? I mean, how did you know right away that I wasn't?"

"I know you wouldn't. Peeta, I know you love me. You make that very clear because…you're you. I should be smart enough to realize what I have and that you wouldn't intentionally say something that would make me want to shake you," she chuckled softly. Peeta turned to look at her as they slumped against the back of the futon.

"You're very right. You're scary when you're angry," he joked.

"I know," she giggled. "But hey, at least I maybe scared Cassie away for the rest of the weekend."

Peeta grinned. "That you probably did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you freaked out on me last time (oops) that Katniss overreacted. She DID - on every level. I just was basing that off of myself in college and how I know I was an emotional trainwreck half the time. It seemed realistic that she acted sort of bratty and emotional like that - it made sense to me for some college girls. Thoughts?
> 
> I love that you guys enjoy reading this light, fun story. As I've said before, many of the chapters are based on my own college days (hangs head LOL) and it's really awesome to get to re-live them through Katniss and Peeta and have you guys enjoy it. So thank you!
> 
> Oh and thanks to FamousFremus for the bit about frostbite in the last chapter - she suggested Peeta checking Katniss for frostbite ; ) haha!
> 
> Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought!


	36. Chapter 36: November 13th (Later that same night)

Katniss

To Katniss' delight, Cassie didn't return for the rest of the night and neither did Mark.

"I think she listened to you," Peeta whispered, tightening his arm around her shoulders. Katniss grinned up at the television as another movie started, curling into his side. She just wanted to forget that their almost-fight and her overreaction and Cassie's troublemaking had never happened. After their short spat about her kissing Peeta, Cassie hadn't shown her face.

"I must be pretty intimidating when I'm angry," she hummed, resting her head on Peeta's chest. The fresh, clean scent of his fabric softener wafted up into her nose, the familiar scent calming her as she breathed it in.

"Well damn skippy; she went after your man and you showed her you meant business. Shit, I was scared of you."

She snorted. "If you ever want to kiss another girl while you're still dating me, well…you just think about the look on my face tonight," she giggled. "I bet that will keep you on the straight and narrow."

"You'd be right about that," Peeta chuckled, stretching further out on the lumpy futon. "Not that I'd ever do that."

She smiled. "Nah. You've got too much character to stray."

"Is that a nice way of saying I'm a doormat?"

"No," she huffed. "It's a way to say that you're too good of a person to ever fall victim to a trampy girl's sneaky ways. I knew right away she was kissing you and not the other way around. And now she's afraid to come back."

Peeta chuckled again. "Right, but can we please take a moment to observe the real victory here? She's gone and he's gone and I don't have to listen to them having sex. I've become a champ at sleeping with my damn pillow over my head and tonight I don't have to do it."

"Aren't you afraid you'll suffocate?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I think sweet death would be better than listening to Mark try to muffle his disgusting groans."

Katniss guessed they were avoiding the room; Cassie had probably told Mark they had a huge 'fight' or something else to avoid running into them again. Not that she minded. Peeta pulled out the futon and they had a movie marathon as more and more snow fell from the sky. They'd piled his comforter and throw and all of his pillows on one end of the futon and cuddled together as the winter wind whipped around the sides of his dorm. A sheet of white was all they could see when they glanced out the window; clearly this winter storm meant business. She certainly had zero qualms about being snowed in with Peeta with no Cassie around, that was for certain.

"I have no idea how I'm going to get back to school," she sighed. "I might be forced to transfer after all. It might take them the rest of the semester to dig us out."

Peeta grinned at the television. "That wouldn't be the worst thing."

Katniss pressed her lips together as the movie played on. Peeta looked utterly engrossed in it, but she knew she did need to tell him about her genuine efforts to transfer schools. After all, what if all of this was just talk? What if he changed his tune when she actually told him she was really considering it? It was one thing to wish they went to the same school; it was quite another to actually go and do it. They wouldn't be long distance anymore and they would see each other all the time on the small campus. They might even share classes together, for she knew they both still had several general education classes to complete. What would it be like to actually attend the same school as Peeta? She'd dreamt about transferring on more than one lonely night, but what would it be like to actually never have to say goodbye?

In her mind, she pictured being in the same classroom as Peeta. Staring at his handsome profile, imagining being able to hold his hand in a lecture hall…passing him a dirty note. Him taking her up against the teacher's podium after hours…

Damn, she thought. Why does my mind always go to a dirty, raunchy, place? You know why, her mind told her. It's because you're dating a hottie.

Katniss smiled to herself and shrugged off her perverted thoughts. She was dating handsome, sweet, quirky boy that she'd fallen in love with almost immediately. He was loving and caring and was certainly something to write home about in the bedroom – why wouldn't she think that way?

Convinced she was normal after all, she pictured walking to class with him, hand in hand. What would it be like to hang out on the quad after class, or eat lunch together? Would they have sleepovers in their rooms like Mark and Cassie or attend campus parties together? She could handle being in a long distance relationship because Peeta meant so much to her, but the thought of never having to leave his school was an appealing one.

She knew she needed to tell him. She needed to simply confide in him and tell him the truth about why she was extra stressed that semester.

Leaning up on her elbow, she lifted her head from his chest and clicked the 'mute' button. Peeta's blue eyes shifted to hers in question.

"Yes?"

"Um," she started nervously.

He raised one eyebrow, making himself look incredibly debonair for a second. "Something on your mind, Miss Everdeen?"

Katniss chewed her lip. "Um…so what if we did go to the same school? Would that like…change anything?"

Peeta lifted his head off the pillow, uncurling his arm from behind his head. "What, like if you transferred?"

She nodded.

"Um…I mean I would miss you a lot less. It would be nice to not have to say goodbye as often as we do. Whether it's on the phone or on Skype or when I drop you off it just…it seems like we say that a lot. I feel like I always have to let you go before I'm ready. It would be great to not have to do that so much," he admitted. "What brought this up again?"

"Um…well, I…sorta looked into it."

He turned on his side. "Wait, you looked into transferring here? Katniss, why didn't you tell me?" he laughed. "That's awesome!"

"Well…hold on," she said slowly. "I'm not sure if it will work."

"But it has to! Oh my god, that's so awesome! This will be so great! I-"

"-Peeta," she pleaded, "I don't know if it will work."

He calmed himself, his wide grin slowly fading. "Okay. I get that. There's a lot to consider. But still, I mean…you looked into it and that's amazing. I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well…it might not happen. There's no guarantee," she said softly, giving him a pleading look. "I looked into it. I mean…I hate having to say goodbye as much as you do. I really do. I've always been an independent person so it….kinda took me awhile to admit that to myself. But I love to be around you Peeta…you make everything better."

He grinned.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her suddenly racing heart.

"I don't like be apart, and…I have no emotional attachment to my school. But… I wanted to talk this over with you before I took all the steps. I'm still not even sure it will work out and…Peeta, it would have killed me to have gotten your hopes up and have this not work out. Please tell me you won't be shattered if this doesn't happen because I think I'll be disappointed enough for the both of us," she rambled in one long breath.

The callouses on his hands lightly scratched at her cheek as reached out, touching the side of her face with a look of awe. "Babe, this is such good news."

"I'm…I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner. I was afraid that…that it might not go like I'd planned. And honestly Peeta, it…it still might not work out. For it to all go well I have to practically get straight A's this semester to qualify for the grant. You need almost a perfect GPA to qualify for it and I was a few points short yet," she admitted. "But it's do-able. But I just have to focus a lot. It's been stressing me out like crazy lately, so…I'm sorry I've been like a ticking time bomb."

Peeta grinned even wider before pulling her to him for a brief but sweet kiss. "It'll all be worth it if you can be here with me."

"That's the thing though," she sighed. "I'll be here. With you."

Peeta shook his head. "I don't….I don't see the bad part. You look…scared."

Katniss sighed, shaking her head. She wanted to be with Peeta but she didn't want to depend on Peeta. If she transferred schools, she felt like she might depend on him too much since he knew his way around. Then she would be nothing but the clingy, desperate girlfriend that hung on him all hours of the day and had been so desperate she'd transferred schools to be with him constantly.

"But…I'll be here all the time," she gently reminded him.

"Hey," he said softly, "I can tell what you're thinking. Katniss, you would be fine. You would do so well here. The classes are small, and you'd meet friends. All the girls at the fraternity house love you. Every time they see me they ask about you. I mean, they might not end up being your best friends but that would be another set of friendly faces you could have. And…I love being with you. It wouldn't be a bother to me."

"So I shouldn't be worried?"

He shrugged, giving her a little chortle. "No, but I know you and I know you'll worry. But it's just what you said; you're fiercely independent. The same thing that took you forever to realize you wanted to be here with me is the same thing that will drive you and push you to develop yourself here. I love you Katniss, but you've never been that girl. I'm…our relationship doesn't define you. For some people it would. But there's more to this equation than us, and I get that about you. I love that about you. I know that you'll be fine here even if I wasn't in the picture."

She frowned. "How did you know?"

"You were fine at camp."

"I had Gale and my sister."

"True, but Prim had her own life at Camp Panem, and so did Gale. You reached out and made friends and did whatever it took. I know you'll do the same thing here."

She knew Peeta wasn't wrong. She'd never been a particularly weak or clingy person; hell, if she'd gotten through two and a half years at her gigantic state school then she would surely do fine at Peeta's school that was a fraction of the size.

"There's more to you than me, and I'm fine with that," he said, reaching up to brush her hair away from her eyes.

She smiled. "I know."

After she'd warned him about the twentieth time that it might not work out, Peeta was finally relaxed enough to settle back down and resume their movie marathon. They munched on popcorn straight from the bag and lounged together in the heap of pillows and blankets covering his futon as the night wore on. Peeta got up to slide the deadbolt into the door.

"Guess Mark's not coming back tonight," he chuckled, settling back into their makeshift bed. Katniss grinned and resumed her spot lying across Peeta's chest as another Marvel movie started playing. They'd been perfectly content to watch the snow fall down around them while wasting a Saturday night together watching one comic book movie after another. She was almost falling asleep when Peeta leaned over her dozing form.

"I'm falling asleep," he yawned, placing a tired, lazy kiss on the side of her mouth.

She cracked an eye open. "Give me a real one, come on," she laughed.

Peeta leaned back over, heaving a sigh before placing his mouth on hers. His lips lingered against hers for a second before he pulled away and gave her a sleepy smile.

"Will that work?" he asked, blinking his bleary eyes.

"No…one more," she pleaded, reaching up behind his neck. She pulled him closer, making him drop his mouth to hers one last time. She felt herself groan against his lips, the feeling of fatigue suddenly taking a back seat as Peeta kissed her with his still-popcorn buttery lips. He lightly licked her lower lip, igniting a twinge of something deep in her stomach. Shifting on the futon, she groaned in protest this time as he pulled away with a knowing smirk. He suddenly looked a little more awake too.

Katniss chewed her lip, tasting the place his tongue had been. Something about that last kiss had left her wanting, and that wasn't a feeling she liked when her boyfriend was well within her reach. Usually nights like this left her alone in her quiet dorm room to slip beneath the covers with his battery operated gift. Now however, she had the real deal in front of her. She had him.

"Peeta," she whispered, pulling on his neck again. He obliged, falling down on top of her to resume what they'd started. His body settled against hers, their skin melting together through their thin clothes. She wore a pair of his old sweatpants and a tank top, and he was in just a flimsy pair of basketball shorts. Not that she was complaining – the thin lounge clothes allowed her to feel every inch of his solid arms and chest as he leaned into her body, eagerly attacking it with affection. He kissed her deeply, his tongue probing past her lips as a teasing prelude while the rest of their bodies started to come alive. Katniss felt her nipples harden against the fabric of her top as his shorts gave away his own burgeoning excitement. The electricity between them seemed to escalate as they kissed each other with an unexpected fervor that neither of them saw coming at that hour of the night.

Katniss felt her head reeling slightly; she'd been about to fall asleep when something urged her forward. It was so spontaneous and unexpected, this welcomed onslaught of passion. Where had it come from, she wondered? Was it out of sheer desperation for the transfer to work? Was it to prove their feelings for each other after Cassie's attack? She couldn't be sure and she didn't think to question anything further as Peeta's hand slid up her thigh, landing on the top of the sweatpants. His warm thumb swiped at the material, pulling it down enough for his skin to make contact with her stomach. Katniss gasped into his mouth as her body began to ignite even further. The familiar ache settled in the pit of her stomach, growing steadily as he kissed and touched her with his body weighing hers down.

The spark began a flame.

She groaned against his lips, tasting him greedily as her hands wove into his unruly blonde locks. All of her stress and worries from the last few weeks seemed to melt effortlessly away as his limbs seemed to mold against hers. She could feel every inch of him in her body's awakened state; the soft touch of his fingers, the hard muscles of his chest, the seemingly-marble feeling tent in his shorts.

Peeta leaned on one hand, his other travelling up her side from her waist to cup her breast with a firm yet gentle squeeze. He teased her through the material, smiling against her lips as her back arched in the tell-tale way it did when she was nearing a state of frenzy. Normally he would tease and prod her until she was practically begging, but not that tonight.

He didn't keep her waiting this time.

His hand shook slightly as he wobbled on one arm, roughly yanking on the bottom of her tank top. She lifted her shoulders so that he could pull the elastic material from her torso and fling it across the room. Before she had room for another though, Peeta's warm mouth was on her chest, dragging his lips across her fiery skin.

"Oh," she gasped, her back arching on its own accord. Peeta's hot tongue slid out and circled her nipple, lingering just long enough to make her mouth drop open before moving back to the other. He ground his hard length against her thigh, eliciting a moan from his chest as he met the friction that their clothing and heaving bodies provided.

The action movie flashed in the background against the darkness of his dorm room, but neither of them paid any attention as her hands fumbled to push his shorts down. The jersey material slid easily down his hips, slowing as the elastic caught against his shapely bottom. Peeta chuckled against her breast as he fumbled to clumsily slide them the rest of the way off. Once free, he resumed his position on his knees hovering over her. Katniss reached down, her hand closing around his erection and hearing his welcoming moan of approval.

Peeta visibly struggled as he stroked him; his eyes were drooping closed every few seconds and his mouth was falling open as she worked his length. He would open his eyes and fumble with the band of the sweatpants she wore only to forget his task a few seconds later and give her another groaning noise that signaled he was steadily losing control. Katniss laughed softly against the loud noises coming from the television behind them as she pulled the sweats down past her ankles. Peeta met her eyes, his own expression blazing with need as he settled back between the valley of her legs. She could feel his hot length practically throbbing against her as he began teasing her with the cocky look on his face that she loved. She held his gaze and stared up at him in silence as she waited to see what he would do.

Peeta didn't disappoint.

His hot head slid through her folds, the velvety skin quickly growing damp with her arousal. Ever nerve ending in her body seemed to be alive and focusing on the one place where Peeta's now-slick member was busy teasing her. He kissed her slowly, drawing her tongue out of her mouth with a flirtatious lick only to suck it roughly into his own mouth. Katniss keened against his lips as their bare bodies lightly touched and rubbed against each other in a deliciously teasing way. Her mouth fell away from his with a gasp of surprise as he gripped himself for more control. The way he was rubbing himself against her clit had her trembling with her teeth clamped down on her lip to keep from screaming out loud. The soft skin of his manhood felt completely different than his fingers or tongue as their most sensitive places touched.

Peeta let out a feral sounding gasp that he couldn't seem to control, making her look up at him. His eyes were dilated pools of lust and need as he stared down at her.

"Katniss…

"Peeta," she groaned.

"Can-"

"I need-"

They cut each other off as they realized that they wanted the same thing. No words were spoken as he reached down and positions himself at her opening. He slid in sans barrier for the second time that weekend and Katniss silently praised herself for being so diligent with her birth control.

Holy hell this is amazing, she thought. Peeta's hot, hard skin slid against her aroused walls easier than anything she'd ever imagined. His arms trembled slightly beside hers as he pushed himself further, another shaky gasp leaving his lips. Leaning up, she captured his mouth with hers and felt herself shudder as he sank in to the hilt. They groaned into each other's mouths, both of them quaking slightly as they took it all in. The shower had been good, but this was great. Instead of the frantic, needy, rushed sex they'd had that weekend in his desk chair and in the shower, this seemed different.

Katniss closed her eyes and let another shudder of pleasure roll over her limbs as Peeta pressed his mouth to her collar bone.

"I…I..," he stuttered against her skin, seemingly unable to utter coherent words. Her skin grew hot as and damp as he gasped against her, his lips poised above her neck as he fought to speak. Somewhere in her mind she wondered what he was trying to say but that part was paralyzed from the pleasure that seemed to seep from his body to hers. His movements kept a slow, grinding, steady pace that was making her dizzy. Sweat began to form on her brow and his as their bodies moved together for what seemed like forever.

But a good forever.

His slow movements as he thrust against her were enough to keep them both satisfied without the threat of it all being over too soon. They rocked against each other with a balanced pace, neither wanting the moment to end. Peeta's lips felt like a pleasant fire as he dragged them up her chest, up her neck, and back to her lips. He peppered her mouth with kisses, his hot breaths joining with hers as she wrapped her legs around his thighs and opened her legs wider. Peeta inhaled deeply as their bodies got even closer together, the friction between them suddenly maddening. One look in his deep, emotional blue eyes told her this wouldn't last much longer. The flame in her abdomen that had been steadily growing since they'd kissed was suddenly an inferno.

Her eyes grew blurry as Peeta's head dropped back down to her chest. His breath was hot against her skin again before he took one of her hardened nipples in his mouth to suck before she felt his teeth lightly bite down. The lightning bolt of pleasure seemed to strike from his mouth and hit her all the way to her core. She came within seconds, her body clenching at the place they were joined. Peeta continued to suck and tease her heaving chest as the orgasm slammed through her limbs. He slid himself in and out a few more times, effectively coaxing the aftershocks of out of her before thrusting harder against her hips. She watched the sweat trickle down his temples as he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw and let himself go. He pulled out to spill himself onto her stomach and she felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness after what they'd just shared.

Peeta gasped above her, his arms shaking in the effort it took to hold himself up. She reached over to the table beside his futon and wiped them both clean, Peeta giving an appreciative grunt before collapsing on her chest. Their bodies had conveyed what their words had fallen short: they needed each other now more than ever, and another long separation wouldn't do.

As she held Peeta's sweaty head against her chest, she stared up at the white ceiling and swore to herself that she could do whatever it took to make her dream a reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Katniss is very good about taking the pill and it's a good method, I DO have some friends with, ahem, birth control babies. So be warned.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and being patient! I'm in the middle of planning my wedding that's taking place in a few months! So exciting and thank you for all of the well wishes. It's been hectic but you guys are great.


	37. Chapter 37: November 24th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit of a time mover/filler chapter, I realize. I wanted to show time passing but also not dwell on too much while they're apart. The next chapter will have them reunited and it is a chapter that I have been DYING to write, so... ; )
> 
> Remember to come play on Tumblr! I answer questions there and I'm also on Twitter if you have any questions about updates, chapters, etc. I'm busy but I'm around and I'd love to hear from you.
> 
> Until next time when I get to torture this sexy duo some more! hah! *MUAH*

Peeta

"So Peet, are we ever going to meet this mystery girl you keep yammering to dad about?"

Peeta cringed and took another swig of his beer. His brothers had done nothing but terrorize him since the minute they'd stepped in the door. It was Thanksgiving, so he knew he'd have to suffer their wrath for a majority of the day and it wasn't even noon yet. Heaving a sigh, he turned around to face his older brother Rye.

"Christmas…erm, I think. If mom agrees."

His brother raised an eyebrow. "Mom is letting you bring a chick home for Christmas? Must be serious."

Peeta gripped his beer and nodded. They were standing out in the chilly garage, sneaking beers before noon and avoiding their mother as she raced around the kitchen trying to get the meal ready. Any offers to assist her were shot down with a snarky look and an order to go and clean something and be useful. So, the three of them had opted instead to hide in the garage and pretend to look at the Mustang their father was still working on to avoid her. Their father was on his second emergency run to the grocery store that morning, so things weren't going well in the Mellark household so far. Peeta winced to himself as he wondered if Christmas would be this bad or worse.

"She's my girlfriend, Rye. Has been for months now," he shrugged. "But like I said…if mom agrees."

His brother chuckled, shaking his head. "That's the catch. Jesus, is she in a mood today. I walked in and barely had my coat off before she started in on the fact that I need a haircut."

"Sounds like mom," Peeta agreed. His other brother, Bannock, finished his walk around the car they were pretending to stare at.

"What do you want to bet dad secretly hates cars and shit but just does this to avoid mom?"

Rye chuckled as all three of them made a face at the idea.. "It wouldn't shock me at all. Fuck, she's on a roll today."

Peeta knew he'd certainly taken up an interest in the Mustang his father was restoring in hopes that the garage would become a sort of safe haven for him. Much to his delight, his mother tended to leave him alone when he was out there with his dad, claiming it reeked like grease and gasoline for her taste. Working on the car with his father had become a hobby of theirs that usually bought them a few peaceful hours each weekend when Peeta was growing up.

"So it's serious," Rye continued, turning back to him. "How's the pussy?"

Peeta rolled his eyes at his older brother's crass words. He was no prude, but he wasn't about to talk about Katniss like that. Especially with Rye, who would either no believe him or bring up the information at an awkward time…like possibly the dinner table. Peeta wasn't about to give him ammunition. "Rye…"

"I'm just asking! I've been looking at the same one for five years now! So shoot me if I'm living vicariously through my little brother. Do you have any pics of her?"

Peeta shot him a dirty look. "Perv."

Rye shoved him in the shoulder so hard he staggered. "Untwist your panties, Peet; I just want to see the girl who finally let my little bro into her pants."

As annoyed as Peeta was with his older brother's obnoxious antics, he did want to show off Katniss every chance he got. Pulling out his phone, he quickly flipped to a picture of Katniss. It was the morning of one of her first visits to his school; they'd been eating breakfast on the outdoor quad, enjoying each other's company before Cassie dropped in and interrupted them. Katniss was sitting across from him at the little table, her hair in a beautifully messy braid. The morning sunlight was shining across her face, illuminating her unique grey eyes and making her tan cheeks pink. Peeta loved the photo because he'd caught her in a rare smiley moment; the happy expression and the soft sunlight making her look almost angelic.

Rye blew out a breath of appreciation as he scanned the photo. "That's not her."

Peeta gaped at him. "It is too!"

Bannock cracked open another beer and peered over his shoulder. "Who is that?"

"Katniss!" Peeta insisted. "That is too her, Rye – don't be a dick!"

"Whatever little bro. That chick is hot. You're not banging someone that hot, no way."

"She's my girlfriend," Peeta insisted. "I swear! Why don't you think that's her?"

His older brothers both hooted with laugher in the garage, their jibes echoing loudly in Peeta's ears as they insisted that the 'hot' girl in the picture was in no way Peeta's girlfriend. His ears grew hot and he felt himself getting increasingly frustrated over something completely petty and stupid. How on earth could his brothers make him feel like he was in fifth grade again? He suddenly felt like he was fifty pounds overweight again with braces and glasses as the two gave him a ribbing.

"That's her," he insisted.

Rye sipped his beer and shook his head. "If you manage to bring that girl home for Christmas, I don't care who she is – I'll give you a hundred bucks if she walks through the front door."

Shaking his head, Peeta slipped his phone back into his pocket. He had a few more pictures on his phone that he could certainly show them, but he knew Katniss would never forgive him. The weekend before they'd been sending flirty, slightly dirty texts to one another and he'd begged and begged her for a racy shot. After almost an hour of pleading, Katniss had finally relented and sent him a dimly-lit topless picture of herself in bed, her face cut out. She was lying against her purple sheets in the picture, her chocolate hair down in waves against the material. She'd held the phone up and snapped a quick picture, but it had been enough to drive Peeta wild. The way her dark pink nipples stood out against the slightly paler skin of her breast; the faint tan liens from summer….it had taken him less than a minute to save the picture on a locked folder on his phone and he'd looked at it at least a dozen times a day last week. He'd keep his mouth shut now if it mean walking through the front door with Katniss at his side at Christmas; he was pretty sure Rye would shit himself.

"A hundred bucks? You gotta deal," Peeta agreed. He gripped Rye's hand in a firm handshake until his older brother winced.

Katniss

She was so engrossed in her flashcards she almost didn't hear the bedroom door open. "Katniss?"

Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Prim in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Dinner's ready. Gale and them just got here."

Katniss grinned as Prim's cheeks turned slightly pink. "You mean Rory is here?"

Prim shrugged and avoided her eyes. "Fine. Come down and say hi. Why are you studying so much? You've been home a whole day and all you've done is study. Spend time with me," Prim pretended to whine as she flopped down on her sister's bed. Katniss gave her a stern look.

"I'm studying."

"But finals aren't til before Christmas break! Come on."

Katniss sighed, turning in her desk chair. She knew her little sister missed her; due to limited transportation and spending most of her free time with Peeta, she wasn't home as many weekends as she used to be. Prim was at a difficult age, and she felt horrible for not spending more time with her.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Entranced at the idea of knowing confidential information, Prim perked up. "Oh, yes! What is it?"

Katniss rose, closing her bedroom door and returning to the bed to sit next to her sister. "Well…if I get good enough grades this semester I might be able to qualify for a special grant."

Prim frowned. "But you already have several. Why do you need another?"

Katniss swallowed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Well….I'd need it to transfer schools. Private schools are…a lot more money."

It took her a moment, but soon Prim's blue eyes were widening. "Wait, as in the same private school that Peeta goes to!?" she nearly shrieked.

Katniss lurched forward, shoving her hand over Prim's mouth. "Will you be quiet? Mom doesn't know. No one but Peeta knows yet."

Too excited to focus, Prim ignored her. "Oh! You're going to go to the same school! And then I bet he'll purpose at graduation! We could have a summer wedding…"

Rolling her eyes, she stood up and tossed a pillow at her mouth. "Prim…no. I'm just doing this to…get a better education."

Prim snorted. "Right, and to have your sex stud within an arm's reach."

"Where did you learn how to talk like this? You used to be so…polite. You used to live up to your name," Katniss laughed. "But can you keep this a secret? I'm not telling anyone in case it-"

"No," Prim cut her off, "Don't even say it. It will work. It will."

"I take it you approve of Peeta?"

"You know I do Katniss. I think it's great that you've found someone who makes you so happy. You…you were so unhappy for so long. I feel like we're both coming alive again."

She gave her sister another stern look. She knew things were tough after the death of their father, and she did agree with Prim; after his death, she felt like she would never feel joy again. But she needed Prim to understand that this wasn't just to see Peeta more – this was to go to a better school as well.

"Just keep your mouth zipped, alright? Don't even tell Rory."

Prim grinned, bobbing her blonde head as she ran her fingers across her lips. "Zipped."

Peeta

His breath left his mouth in shorts bursts of air as he ran, his sneakers digging into the mud in the backyard. His body collided with Rye's, sending his older brother down like a sack of potatoes onto the cold ground.

"Fuck, Peet! I'm down, I'm down," Rye groaned, shaking his head. "Fucking owwwww…"

Peeta grinned to himself as he untangled his limbs from Rye's, climbing up and brushing off his hands on his sweatpants. After dinner, he and his brothers had decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and take part in some touch football in the backyard to work off their oversized meal with some of the other neighbor kids and a few cousins.

"Hey Peet," Bannock whispered as they set up for another play. "Those chicks are staring at you."

Peeta frowned. "Who?"

"Over there…"

Peeta looked up, glancing over in the direction his brother was not-so-discretely nodding in. His stomach did a small flip when he saw the sisters who were two years younger than him that lived down the street. They had teased him relentlessly as a small, round child and called him roly poly for as long as he could remember. As an overweight, slightly horny kid he had tolerated their teasing, but looking at them now….he managed to see straight through their flirty stares and only remember their taunts. A year ago he would have loped over and greeted them, desperate for female attention from the girls that used to tease him so much.

"Don't you know them?"

"Yeah…" he sighed, shaking his head. He could see hear their taunts as they zipped around him on their stupid roller blades in the driveway while he played basketball as a chubby child. Roly-Poly-Peeta! Roly Poly Peeta!

Now however, they were standing on the edge of their lawn watching the impromptu football game with a few appreciative gazes and a few whispered giggles. Peeta tossed the football in his hands, spinning it as he let a little bit of satisfaction trickle over his limbs. He knew a few years, puberty, and a regular workout schedule had done him some good – a lot, actually. Most people who hadn't seen him since he was under the age of eleven barely recognized him now as an adult.

"What are their names again?""

Peeta smirked, looking away with disinterest. "Bonnie and Twill. They live up the street."

"Ah, that's right," his brother chuckled. "Well give them a show. I bet if you took your shirt off they'd offer to be our cheerleaders."

Peeta made a face. "It's not even fifty degrees out, jackass. Besides, I have a girlfriend that's ten times hotter than those two put together," he replied, tossing the ball back to him.

Bannock snorted, not hesitating to reach over and slug him in the shoulder. "Sure ya do Peet, sure ya do."

"Hey now, that hundred bucks is gonna be mine come Christmas. I hope you pay in cash, cuz I could sure use it to do some Christmas shopping."

"If you bring that girl home, I'll pay you in cash," his brother agreed as they lined up to resume the play.

"Good. Get ready to pay up."

Katniss

After shoving the last bit of pie into her mouth, she turned to Gale and gave him a glare. "Who are you so busy texting all through dinner? And since when do you text?"

Gale gave her a chagrined look and stuffed his beat up cell phone into his pocket. He turned his attention back to his untouched pie and shrugged. "It's nothing."

"It's Madge," Katniss muttered with a smile. Gale's lip twitch confirmed it.

"Have you guys seen each other since camp?"

He nodded, looking around the living room nervously to make sure no one was paying attention. They were all sprawled around the Everdeen living room, full from the turkey Hazelle had brought over and the pumpkin pie Prim had concocted. Their families had made a habit of celebrating holidays together ever since the accident and this one was no exception. The entire Hawthorne clan was scattered around the living room as her mother got ready to go to work for the night. She had to remind herself that a nurse's work was never done, especially on holidays – people still got sick. She would have to prepare herself for a lifetime of working holidays and weekends if she wanted her dream career of healing the sick.

"How is lover boy?"

"He's fine," she smiled, leaning back in her father's old armchair. Gale smirked.

"Never thought you were the long distance type."

"We make it work," she shrugged. "It isn't always the best situation, but…"

Gale shrugged. "Peeta's a good guy, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised you guys made it this long."

"What?" she snapped. "Why wouldn't we?"

"You just don't strike me as the clingy type. Most girls would have either cheated on him or just transferred by now. Not a lot of people do the long distance thing."

"I wouldn't cheat on Peeta," she spat quietly, dragging the prongs of her fork through the remnants of the pie on her plate.

"I said most girls," he reminded her. "And actually…I thought you might have done the other by now," he grinned.

Katniss felt her face grow hot and Gale immediately snorted. "You've thought about it, haven't you?"

She glared sideways at her friend. "You tell anyone I'm thinking of transferring and I'll tell everyone you're making the beast with two backs with Undersee's baby girl."

His smile disappeared as fast as it had gotten there. "Katniss…don't. She could get in trouble with her dad, or…or I don't know, just don't, okay? This…thing with her is difficult enough."

She raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen her a lot? Is this little summer fling more than I thought?"

"Yes, quiet," he hissed. "Just the one time…she came to visit me. Madge is so…weird," he chuckled softly. "I think her dad knows she's slumming it with me."

"What?"

"I duno…he wouldn't let her bring her car to school this year, and the truck has been broken down since September. Sucks that I can't make up to her school more, but…anyway; she had some friends drop her off for a few hours one weekend. She can never stay," he sighed.

"I'm sorry," she replied truthfully. No girl had ever made Gale act this way; she knew the strange yet kind politician's daughter had a hold on her best friend that wasn't easy to explain.

"I was able to work at the shop this weekend though. Got some extra money. I think it might be enough to get the truck fixed and I can hopefully drive up."

"Are you guys still together?"

He took a bite of pie and shrugged. "I'm not fucking anyone else if that's what you're asking."

She snorted. "I guess that's as exclusive as one can hope to be."

She lifted her head with a start. What time was it? Had she seriously fallen asleep while studying? Her neck ached in protest as she lifted her head from the desk beside her bed.

"Ow," she groaned. Glancing at the clock on her nightstand, she realized it was almost one. Her phone was lit up with several texts from Peeta and even a few from Johanna wondering if she was dead or not since she hadn't called. Grimacing, she leaned back and let her back pop in about eight different places as she stood up and looked around the room. Her childhood bedroom had varied very little since she was a girl; she'd painted it at the end of the summer, but her twin sized bed and wooden desk that her father had built were the staples of the layout. Her mother's old rocking chair was in the corner, covered in dirty clothes and an errant stuffed animal from childhood. The dresser near the door had a few pictures tucked into the slightly dusty beveled mirror; a few of her father, some of Prim as a little girl, an a few newer ones of her with Peeta. For the longest time this room was her sanctuary; a place she could go that only had good memories. It was a place that made her feel save and loved and she craved it when she was sick or lonely. A strange little pang of realization skittered through her mind as she realized a small part of what she hadn't retreated home so many times this semester: Peeta had become her home.

She smiled and glanced at the picture of them he'd taken on the last day of camp last year. They looked happy; in love, but sad to leave. Staring closely at it, she realized they had an underlying fear in their eyes too – they hadn't known what the last year would possibly bring them. To embark on a long distance relationship had been completely worth it though. Peeta made her feel safe and secure, but also like everything would be alright. He had the uncanny ability to just give her a simple smile and make the rest of the world melt away. He made everything alright somehow.

She sighed, cracking her neck. She needed to get the grades to transfer – that was all there was to it. While a big part of her hated that the main reason for the move was for a guy, the rest of her felt completely justified after simply looking at his picture. Peeta was her future, and she was ready to live it.

Shuffling quietly down the hall to not wake her sister, she got a glass of water before ducking her head in Prim's room and frowned.

Prim was nowhere to be found.

Her mother's room was empty since she was working the graveyard shift, as was the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Pausing in the middle of the linoleum floor, she looked around and started to panic until she realized there was music playing in the basement. What on earth is Prim doing in the basement at this hour?

To her horror, she soon found out. She was six steps down when she turned her head just in time to see Rory pull his hand out from under her little sister's shirt and jump away from her on the old couch with a start. Prim gave her a completely horrified look that Katniss returned.

"Oh my fucking god."

Peeta

He shuffled down to the kitchen the next day, reveling in the way it already smelled like heaven. Some type of expensive, freshly ground coffee was brewing and it already smelled like his mother had been baking something even though the sun was barely up. Cursing his ability to never sleep in, he shuffled to the coffee pot to slump on the counter and wait for it to finish brewing. He sniffed the air in appreciation and sighed.

"Eggshells," his mother chimed as she breezed past.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Eggshells. I use them in the coffee grounds after I make them. It smells good, doesn't it?"

Peeta nodded slowly, carefully gauging his mother's sparkling blue eyes. She ruffled the hair on his head as she walked past him to pour herself a cup. While he loved his mother simply for the fact that she was his mother, Peeta was still quite cautious around her in the morning as her moods then usually determined what she would be like for the rest of the day. Today she seemed….chipper.

"You going shopping today?" he asked. "Isn't it like…national shopping day or something?"

She laughed as she opened the refrigerator and grabbed the creamer before pulling out a cup for him and a cup for herself. "Yes, it's Black Friday. I've already been to the mall and back. There's some good sales," she shrugged.

Peeta glanced at the clock on the oven and winced, accepting the empty coffee cup. "Already?"

She nodded, and it was only then Peeta realized she was fully dressed and coiffed for the day.

"Listen…I know we touched on the idea of you bringing Katniss to the Christmas party when you were home for Fall Break and…I think I'd like that. I'd like to meet her, that is," she said.

Peeta let his mouth fall open slightly before snapping it promptly shut. His mother was being so uncharacteristically pleasant that morning that he couldn't help but he surprised.

"You do?"

She nodded. "I don't mean to seem closed off; I just want you to do well in school. A girl might distract you. That's all I'm worried about Peeta. You're my baby boy; I just want you to do a good job while you're there."

He bobbed his head and gripped his empty coffee cup as the coffee pot sputtered behind him. "I know. I…I'm on track to make Dean's list."

She smiled warmly, standing back up and making her way over to the coffee pot with him. "You're a good boy. You're just so different from the other two, Peeta. I was never sure how to handle you."

He gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged, watching as she poured two cups full of delicious, hot liquid. "You're going to do just fine in life. Just like your father," she sighed happily. Then, her expression turned slightly sour. "Just stay on track and don't get anyone pregnant," she snapped quickly, eyeing him as she usually did.

Peeta's eyes widened as she gave him one last stern look before grabbing her cup of coffee and stalking out of the kitchen.

"Weird," he muttered, shaking his head. Grabbing a pastry from the tray on the stove, he took his cup to the window seat and flopped down.

What did you do yesterday? I didn't hear from you after dinner, he texted Katniss. The pastry was gone in two big bites, much to his disappointment. His phone buzzed almost immediately.

Yesterday was a bad day.

Yeah? My day sucked too. My brothers think you're too hot to date me! What happened to you?

I saw my little sister getting felt up. I win.

Peeta sputtered in surprise.

Prim got felt up? By who?

Rory, who else.

Did you kick his ass? He asked, chuckling afterwards at the thought.

I wanted to. I had to talk to my little sister about sex. Talk about awful.

You mom is a nurse. Didn't she do it?

Yeah, but…she gave her a nurse's version of it. The mom/nurse version. I gave her the realistic, slightly gross, but understandable big sister version.

Good

Eh, it was awkward. Anyway, I miss you

I miss you too. I'll be there to pick u up on Sunday, k?

K.

Peeta paused, looking down at his phone. He still longed for the time when he wouldn't always have to prepare himself to say goodbye to the girl he loved. They did far too much of that.

I want the day when I never have to be apart from u

I love you, she answered back. I hate goodbyes : (

Hah was wonderin if you would say it. Love u too babe. Bye : (


	38. Chapter 38: December 13th

Katniss

"So when is all this craziness over?"

"Never," she snorted.

Peeta eyed her through the webcam, his blue eyes suddenly mournful. "No really, when are you done with finals? I want my girlfriend back," he laughed.

"Have I been neglecting you?"

He feigned hurt. "A bit, yeah."

Katniss sighed, leaning back in her desk chair. Her finals would be over in two days, but two days had never felt like such a wide expanse of time in her entire life. The end of semester tests had always been daunting, but never before had it tried her sanity like it had this year.

Finals week lasted the entire last week of the fall semester, with the different tests spread out over the course of five days. However, her three hardest exams were clumped together on Wednesday night, Thursday morning, and Thursday afternoon. If she didn't explode from stress she would surely die from exhaustion from not getting enough sleep. She'd pulled two all-nighters in four days and she was pretty sure her body was starting to hate her. Nerves were keeping her from eating, coffee was keeping her from sleeping, and the stress of everything felt like it was about to come down on her shoulders and make her back break in two.

It was all too much.

She felt like she could crack at any second, but then where would she be? Having to look her mother and Prim in the eye and tell them that she couldn't handle the nursing program was right up on her list of failures between getting knocked up or kicked out of school.

"Thursday afternoon," she sighed. "That can't come soon enough. My last final gets out at four."

Peeta cocked his head sideways in the Skype box of her computer, his lower lip jutting out. "I'm sorry. You look tired."

She gave him a pitiful look through the webcam. "Um, thanks?"

"No," he hurried, "I didn't mean it like that. I mean you're obviously stressed and I feel bad that I can't help."

"I'm just jealous you're done," she sighed, scrubbing her hands over her face. She really didn't have time to be chatting with him, but figured she needed a Peeta-Skype-Break to keep her sanity. His gentle smile and happy eyes were a welcome sight compared to her anatomy books. She felt like she had the text burned onto the backs of her eyelids.

"Almost. I have my English final tomorrow at eleven, but that shouldn't be bad. We just had to write a paper."

"And being you, you probably breezed through it, spewing such poetic bullshit that the teacher will eat it up and bow down to you," she sighed, shaking her head. Peeta had a way with words both spoken and written that she could only pray for.

Peeta barked out a laugh, his eyes twinkling from beneath his hat. Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Take off that stupid hat! I can't see you."

Peeta smirked and twisted it back so that the brim was behind his head. "Better?"

She met his gaze in the Skype cam and smirked right back. "You're ridiculous."

"I know. So you get done Thursday at four?"

"Yes. And it will be right at four because it's going to take me the entire two hours to finish this exam. Conway is known for his insanely awful exams and I'm going to take every minute I can to try to get the best score."

"You'll do fine."

She shook her head as an entirely new wave of despair washed over her. Thursday afternoon at four seemed so far away.

"You don't have to hang out at school just for me, you know," she said. Peeta was finishing with his finals almost an entire day before she was, but insisted it was no problem to hang around his school an extra day before coming to pick her up and take her home. Even though he didn't have to do it, she was secretly touched at the small but sweet gesture. Gale couldn't pick her up because his truck was still broken, and her mother was at work trying to get some extra hours before the holidays. Without Peeta's offer, she would have been stuck at school until Sunday afternoon when her mother could finally come get her.

He shrugged. "No sense making the trip twice. I'll just hang out here til you're done and pick you up. You already said Gale's truck is still broken and your mom is working til Friday night. That gives us one night together before you have to be home."

"And what are we going to do with this one night?" she challenged.

Peeta licked his lips and gave her an intense little stare from the screen. "Stuff and things."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Peeta chuckled and coughed, his façade of sexiness fading slightly. "Um...I figured maybe see a movie or something before I have to take you home. But we can at least hang out. I won't see you again till Christmas day."

"I know," she sighed. "But that will give me time to scare Prim away from having sex with Rory."

Peeta rolled his eyes. "There's quite a difference from a boob grab and actual intercourse, babe. Don't you think you might be overreacting?"

Katniss shifted in her chair. "Yes, but things escalate quickly when you're that age. I just want to make sure she knows what she's doing."

"Noted," he laughed.

"Well," she sighed, "I should really get back to studying. Ulgh, fuck my life. Three more finals and then it's Christmas break for me! All four weeks of it. I'll see you Thursday at four? You'll be here?"

Peeta grinned. "With bells on. Jingle bells."

Katniss gripped her pencil in her hand, staring at the scantron sheet full of empty bubbles in front of her. She'd definitely had too much coffee that morning; her fingers were starting to shake slightly as she gripped it. Or was it nerves? She couldn't tell.

Taking a deep breath, she began filling in the bubbles as the minutes ticked by. A cloud of fatigued nervousness seemed to hang in the room as the minutes became an hour. Everyone around her seemed to be fighting the same anxiety she was, but that didn't make her feel any better as her last final of the semester dragged on. It didn't matter what they got, she told herself. The only thing that mattered was what she got.

This test could easily determine whether or not she got the grades needed to transfer schools.

She took a shuddering breath and shook her head. She couldn't think about that now; she only needed to get through the next hour. Taking a deep breath, she resumed her work.

A strange sense of relief settled over her as she trudged through the dirty, mucky slush back to her dorm. Usually she spent this long walk going over her answers in her head and wondering whether or not she'd done well. Today, however, she was just glad it was over.

The winter wind whipped around her as a light snow began to fall. The accumulation from the last snowstorm from a few weeks before still had yet to melt; instead, layers upon layers of new snow had fallen down on top of that. She couldn't help but feel as though winter would never end.

As she approached her dorm, something made her look up. A wide smile suddenly threatened to split her face as she took in the welcomed sight of Peeta, bundled up in a thick coat and hat as he stood against the side of his car beside her dorm. He was rubbing his gloved hands together, looking around curiously as he waited for her. When their eyes finally met, his face mirrored hers. Katniss loped carefully forward through the slick snow and ice, her breath coming out in white puffs of air. She slid to a halt in front of Peeta and threw her arms around his middle. He fell back against the cold car and laughed in her ear.

"Now that's a welcome."

She pulled back. "I've never been so glad for a test to be over," she sighed, shaking her head.

Peeta's hand pulled her side braid into his fingers, twirling the end suggestively. "Happy to see me then?"

"You know I am," she laughed. "Let me get my bags, and then we can go, alright?"

He grinned, his pale cheeks turning slightly pink. She thought it was the cold until she saw a glimmer in his eye. "Hurry back. I've got a surprise for you."

She pretended to scowl and shook her head at him as she walked away. He chuckled and jumped into his running car, making a motion for her to hurry it up. After racing up the steps to grab her bags and bid a hasty adieu to her lonely dorm room, she was back in the car within minutes. Peeta handed her a steaming to-go cup and hit his rim gently against hers.

"To finals being over. Cheers."

Katniss took a sip, the creamy hot chocolate from the coffee shop down the street greeting her throat. "This is a good surprise," she laughed, lifting the lid. "Extra whip cream too…such a gentleman."

Peeta cleared his throat as he placed his hot chocolate into the cup holder and pulled out onto the main road. "That's not the surprise actually," he grinned. His blue eyes shifted to hers as he gave her a cunning little smile.

Katniss shook her head. "You know I hate presents."

He laughed and shook his head. "No, uh….this is different. Do you think you could tell Prim you stayed an extra night at school?"

"Prim won't mind," she said, giving him a shrug. "Why?"

Peeta shifted. "Okay,well…. I'm an awful person to find the good in this, but my great aunt that lives upstate has the flu," he said. "Don't judge."

"I'm so sorry," she sighed, turning to face him as he pulled onto the interstate. "How old is she?"

Peeta cleared his throat. "I've only met her once; she doesn't care for children," he said. "So I don't really know her that well. Maybe ninety? Well….um….my mom and dad went up to see her for the night and make sure her home health care worker had everything she needed to take care of her."

"Well…that's nice of them," she replied. "But…"

Peeta took his eyes off the road for a second to give her a look. "So….do you want to come to my house and stay the night?"

Peeta's words hit her like a ten ton truck. He wanted her to go to his parents' house…alone? She felt herself start to smile.

"Um….are you sure it's alright?"

Peeta nodded. "I promise. They're gone until tomorrow. As long as we leave my house by like…eleven, we should be fine. It's a five hour drive for them, and we can take you home before they get back. But tonight we'd…have the house to ourselves."

She gripped her cup of hot chocolate and grinned. "No Mark."

"Or Cassie," he echoed happily. "I have a queen sized bed. Am I a terrible person for taking advantage of a horrible situation?"

"A little," she admitted. "But…"

Her cheeks grew warm at his suggestive tone. They'd spent their entire relationship hooking up in showers, on soccer fields, behind sheds, in dorm rooms….they'd never actually had an opportunity to be in a big bed in a private room all to themselves before. The situation they were now in began to grow in appeal as she considered it. While she wasn't crazy about the idea of taking advantage of Peeta's great aunt being sick….this was a rare gem of a moment.

"Okay," she heard herself say nervously. Peeta reached over the console and gripped her hand.

"Really? You'll go?"

She shrugged. "I want to, yeah. I mean…we hardly ever get a chance like this. Might as well take it."

She was eating her words an hour and a half later as her hot chocolate gurgled around in her stomach. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered Peeta saying his mother came from some money, but it became obvious she still had quite a bit the moment Peeta turned onto his street. The houses there weren't the biggest she'd seen, but they were definitely some of the nicest. One perfectly manicured, snow-covered lawn after another flashed by as he drove down the winding, quaint street.

I live in a shoebox compared to these houses, she thought.

"I'm so excited I'm shaking," he chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "You still want to do this?"

She peeled her eyes away from the last brick house she'd been ogling and looked at him. "What? Oh, um…yeah."

He didn't seem to notice her sudden moment of trepidation as he began to slow the car. Peeta finally turned down a driveway at the end of the street and Katniss gripped her empty cup. The perfectly plowed brick driveway passed by a wrought iron gate that was covered in twinkling white Christmas lights. Leaning forward in her seat, she felt her jaw drop open slightly as they wound around a series of trimmed, twinkling pine trees to reveal the brick house at the end of the dark drive. The winter evening revealed a glowing brick home at the end of the lane, the lights pouring from the outside making it somehow look big and yet cozy at the same time.

"This is where you live?" she breathed.

"Um, yeah," he chuckled. "Home sweet home. My dad uh…really loves Christmas lights. Can you tell? He likes going overboard."

"Yeah," she laughed weakly. It was like something out of a magazine or a commercial. She'd always wondered who lived in houses like this and now she had her answer.

The drive wound down to a red brick house with black shutters and a pristine white porch that was lined with small pine topiaries and nearly trimmed bushes that were covered in white twinkle lights. There wasn't a stray shutter that needed painting or chipped brick in sight; everything was shiny and new and not a speck of dirt out of place, she realized. Did places like this even exist? Katniss felt her palms start to sweat as his car wound down the driveway. Peeta pulled into the last stall of the three car garage and she thought she was going to be sick.

This wasn't a house; this was a mansion that belonged on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens, she thought. Her cheeks continued to flame as she thought back to how her own home compared. What had Peeta thought of her surroundings?

He got out of the car, dutifully picking up her bag and taking her hand to lead her into the house. After taking off their shoes in a mud room, she found herself standing in the single largest kitchen she'd ever seen. The stainless steel appliances gleamed in the dim light as Peeta dropped her bag on the window seat nearby and began flipping on the lights. She'd seen kitchens like this on Pinterest boards for perfect houses, but she never imagined people actually owning them. The beautiful granite countertops were wiped clean of any speck of dirt or crumbs, every fancy looking cooking item neatly tucked in its place. The island in the center of the room already had three miniature lit Christmas trees that were surrounded with seasonal plates and bowls full of fancy fruit and cookies. Peeta leaned against the counter as she looked around in wonder.

"This is…wow," she breathed. "Um…"

"I know what you're thinking," he interjected. "This is my parents' house, Katniss. Not mine."

"I know, but…wow," she breathed. Peeta casually mentioned his mother came from a wealthy family and that their chain of bakeries did rather well, but she'd had no idea that her boyfriend came from a family this wealthy. Her small, outdated home that had never bothered her before suddenly did. She shifted from foot to foot, suddenly feeling very out of place. This shouldn't bother her and she knew it. Peeta had never rubbed his family's wealth in her face before and Katniss knew his kindness only stemmed from a need to please. It shouldn't have bothered her, but why did it?

"You must have thought my house was gross," she sighed in defeat, suddenly unable to look at him. A feeling of shameful inadequacy settled over her limbs as she chewed her lip and leaned against the counter. She couldn't even look at him.

"What?" he gasped. "No. Why would I think that?" he asked, moving closer.

She shrugged. "My house was just so….small. And this house is like….Peeta, my house could fit in yours like seven times."

He gave her a pleading look and let his shoulders slump. "Really? Katniss…this is my parents' house. Not mine. I didn't bring you here to make you feel bad, I…I brought you here to spend time with you alone."

She nodded, tucking a few loose hairs back. "I know you did. I just…it's overwhelming. Your house belongs on Pinterest or in a magazine."

"My mom had a rich father who spoiled her rotten and still probably does. This isn't who I am, okay?" He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her middle as he pressed her up against the countertop. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she laughed nervously. She felt stupid for making a big deal about Peeta's house, but she simply hadn't expected it to be as well-to-do as it was. The wide spaces and shiny appliances were quite daunting.

"You know what room might make you feel better?" he asked, nuzzling his nose into her hair. She felt goose bumps rise up on her skin as Peeta's warm breath touched the skin of her neck. A shudder rolled through her limbs as he placed a slow, wet kiss against the area behind her ear. Her fingertips gripped his sweatshirt tightly as the house became less and less important. His clean, masculine scent floated towards her as she felt her eyes flutter closed. The spell he seemed to cast when he was near her like this began to quietly overpower any insecurities she had, just as it always did.

"What…w-what room?"

Peeta lifted his lip up to the shell of her ear, his hot breath making her toes curl. "My bedroom."

Her laugh echoed out across the kitchen as his hands dug playfully into her sides. "Peeta!"

The insecure feeling was momentarily forgotten as he grabbed her hand in his and pulled her out of the kitchen. She stumbled forward with another loud laugh as he led her quickly out of the hall, through a family room, and into the main entryway of the house. She was about to stop and gawk at the sprawling, two story entrance, but Peeta's tight grip kept her from pausing. Their sock-covered feet padded up the carpeted steps, the electric feeling between their joined hands seeming to grow with each step. Stopping halfway, she playfully pinned him against the wall and attacked his mouth with hers. Peeta groaned against her lips, welcoming her tongue into his mouth that still tasted like hot chocolate. She heard herself moan lightly before breaking away mischievously and pulling him the rest of the way up the steps. Peeta's throaty laughter followed her as she blindly tugged him down the upstairs hallway.

Continuing their game of relentless teasing, Peeta stopped her in the hallway, pulling her back roughly against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding through his sweatshirt into her back as he grabbed her hips and rubbed her ass suggestively across the front of his jeans. His hardness dug into her flesh as he pushed her braid to the side to suck lightly on her neck. Katniss forgot where she was for a moment as Peeta's tongue swiped against her skin and his teeth lightly nipped at her ear. His fingers began tugging at the material of her black cardigan, and soon the garment was fluttering to the hallway floor along with her tank top. While one hand held her against his groin, the other hand snaked around to the front of her body and ran his palm against the material of her bra.

"I want you," he whispered, the words sounding more like a throaty growl.

"Oh," she panted, reaching back and grabbing a fistful of his blonde hair. "Oh God", she mewled. She felt his fingers temporarily leave her bra to gently pull the fastener on the end of her braid off and toss it to the hallway floor with her tank top and cardigan. Her hair began unraveling as Peeta's efforts to arouse her increased.

"Katniss…"

"Which room?"

"End of the hall."

He pushed her forward, both of them laughing as their trance was momentarily broken. She barely had time to look at his bedroom before Peeta was kicking the door shut with his foot and hurrying them both inside. He ripped off his sweatshirt and t-shirt together, the rumpled clothing hitting the carpet.

"Are you just going to stand there?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

His hungry eyes watched as she pulled off her socks and started unbuttoning her jeans. Peeta did the same, his pale, broad chest flexing slightly as he forcefully ripped his clothes off. The tight, black, boxer briefs showcased his muscular thighs and shapely behind as he gave her another hungry look before moving to his desk. Opening one of his notebooks, he pulled a strip of condoms from their hiding place in the pages before he practically stalked back over to her.

She met him halfway, pulling his mouth against hers frantically. They'd never had this much freedom and privacy before and the thought of it all was dizzying as they kissed passionately. The room seemed to grow stuffy and hot as they attacked each other's mouths with a fervor they'd never had before.

"Condom?" she questioned. Since she'd been taking her pill regularly they'd gone the last two times without any added protection.

Peeta gently pushed her back onto his neatly made bed, straddling her body and pinning it down. She felt him nod shyly against her shoulder as he buried his face in her hair.

"Yes. I miss finishing inside of you," she heard him mumble, his fingers slipping around to palm the front of her bra. She arched against his hand as her entire body began to flush with the normal excitement and anticipation that came with what they were about to do. His pale skin did the same, the pinkish color turning his cheeks and neck a pretty pink in the dim light of his desk lamp. While it was somewhat scary to have sex with the lights on, she couldn't help but think of how the current lighting worked to her advantage as her eyes could roam over every inch of his pale, broad chest. She felt her insides stir impatiently as he hovered above her and grinned.

"Whatever you want to do is fine with m-me," she stuttered.

Peeta pulled the dark blue comforter back, the two of them slipping clumsily inside. She lay back against the fluffy pillows as Peeta rose up on his knees and made quick work of his underwear. His hands moved to hers next, flinging them across the room with a flourish. She let a little sigh slip from her mouth as he lowered one hand to brush against her already dripping center. Her earlier insecurities had faded to the back of her mind as Peeta began running his fingers up and down her folds, teasing and probing. Reaching down, she grabbed his wrist and exhaled sharply.

"We've got all night for this. I need you now," she whispered in a needy tone. The stress of finals and the last semester was more than she could handle and right in that moment all she wanted was him.

Peeta nodded in understanding. "We do have all night. For once. I'll make it up to you," he promised, finishing his words with a deep kiss. His tongue playfully snaked through her lips as he met hers and made a small circling motion in her mouth as if he was giving her preview of what he would do later to other places. Another shiver raced through her limbs as he rose up again and quickly rolled the condom on himself and wasted no time before swiftly entering her. Katniss clenched and exhaled several times as the familiar, tight sensation spread from her middle. The first few thrusts were slow, sweet torture as Peeta thrust his hips against hers, and then seconds later he found a rhythm and started moving with purpose.

"I want to…ulgh…try something," he panted in her ear.

Katniss nodded, chewing her lip as the pleasurable tremors began spreading through her body. Peeta pulled out, making her gasp in protest.

"It's fine. Turn over, okay?"

She did as she was told, rolling over onto her stomach and allowing Peeta's warm hands to pull her up onto her knees. He crouched behind her on the wide bed as she looked over her shoulder at him. "Been reading that book, have we?"

He blushed slightly before nodding and grabbing himself with his hand. "Maybe."

She couldn't find it in herself to protest as Peeta's length slid easily back into her waiting heat. The new angle was different but in a completely good way. The pleasurable cry that left her lips was echoed by Peeta as he gripped her hips and thrust a second time. The sound of skin on skin and their moans and pants of approval soon filled the room.

"Oh Katniss…." he groaned.

She glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with Peeta before he threw his head back. The friction between in this new position was making her climb towards her finish even shorter. Peeta's hips drove against her ass with a slightly erratic force that was almost dizzying. Realizing they were alone in the house, she let another frantic cry leave her lips as she clenched her muscles around his cock.

"Fuuuuck," he muttered breathlessly in answer. "Oh my God…"

"I know," she panted, dropping her head forwards. "Oh Peeta…I'm close. I'm…I'm…."

She let out another slow moan, chewing her lip as he gripped her from behind and drove into her harder and harder as she came. The intensely pleasurable tremors flowed from her center and into every nerve ending in her body as she let go. Peeta groaned deeply, panting harshly as he fucked her from behind.

"Katniss…"

She was so completely blissed out from her orgasm that she almost didn't see Peeta's bedroom door open. He groaned again as she tensed in panic, mistaking her clenching for joy instead of horror as a third voice sounded in the room.

"Oh my….Peeta?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hangs head in shame*
> 
> Yes, this moment in time is unfortunately from a real college-Twilightcakes experience...*sigh*
> 
> Anyway...hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Who do you think it is in the doorway? *evil laugh*


	39. Chapter 39: December 15th

Peeta

The blissful feeling of his cock pulsing against Katniss' warm walls was instantly replaced by fear and horror as he met the eyes of the person standing in the doorway.

"D-dad?" he heard himself stammer.

His father's eyes went wide as he too pieced together the horrible situation in front of them. His father's face was stricken with shock and the same horror Peeta felt as Katniss' tank top that had been thrown to the hallway floor slipped from his fingers. They were interrupted by Katniss' bloodcurdling scream. Faster than lightning, she grabbed the comforter out from underneath Peeta's knees, the fierce yank sending him careening off the other side of the bed. Diving beneath the cover of the blanket, she screamed again as Peeta landed on the carpet with a hard thud.

"Oh my God," his father muttered. "Oh my good God!"

"Dad! Get out!"

"Peeta, oh my…why are you home?!"

"Get out! Shut the door!"

His father gave him another horrified look as Peeta desperately tried to cover himself and get a handle on the situation. Everything had happened so far that he didn't know what to do. His bedroom door slammed shut, leaving them alone. Katniss whimpered under the safety of his blue comforter, her form trembling slightly.

"K-Katniss?" he called out. He rose up from the floor, stripping off the condom and tossing it in his trash can to deal with later. The reality of the situation was settling in and forming a pit in the bottom of his stomach. He shook his head and winced.

His father had walked in on them having sex. Fuck fuck fuck, he thought. His brain could barely function.

"Katniss, you alright?"

She flipped the blanket down, giving him an utterly horrified look. "Is the door locked?"

Peeta gave her a chagrined look before walking over to the door where his father had been standing, flicking the lock before bending down to pick up his boxers. He pulled them on and felt his hands shake.

His father had walked in on them having sex, he repeated to himself. Fuck. Is he going to tell mom? Oh my god, what if that had been mom? Or Rye? Oh my god…this is the most horrible thing I've ever done. Fuck.

Peeta heaved a sigh, sitting down on the edge of the bed to put his head in his hands. How could this happen? How could he have been so stupid as to not lock the damn door?

Katniss sat up in his bed, the comforter around her waist. She gave him a horrified, shameful look.

"Holy shit," she sighed. "Your dad totally just walked in on us and…I think I'm going to die. Seriously, die. Peeta…what do we do?"

His father hadn't just caught them having sex – he caught them having loud, dirty, doggie style sex.

"Are you…a-alright?" he finally asked.

She let out a bitter laugh. "Define alright. Your dad just saw me….almost naked, on all fours in front of his son, moaning his name while he fucked me from behind. You define 'okay'."

Peeta nodded. "Good point. Um…Oh God, Katniss. I'm so…so sorry."

"What are we going to do Peeta? That's your dad. It's not some random stranger, or-or..or Mark or someone stupid. This is your father. What is he going to do to us?"

Peeta snorted. "He'll either give me a lecture or ask me how it was," he sighed. "Or maybe both."

"He won't kill you?"

He shook his head. He didn't think his father would kill him for having sex with his girlfriend – his father would just be upset that he'd attempted to sneak her into their house while they were supposed to have been away. However, he wasn't sure if his dad would tell his mother or not. He didn't think he would, but Peeta usually found he had rather poor luck when it came to things like this.

"Peeta, what are we going to do? Your dad…caught us," she hissed. "I can't even…oh my God. I want to die right now. I seriously want this bed to swallow me whole."

Peeta looked over his shoulder at her. "At least you had a bra on, and I mean…he didn't see much else. Luckily we he didn't get to see the…tail end of things," he sighed. "I however, fell off the bed completely butt ass naked when you grabbed that blanket."

Katniss buried her face in her hands. "I had to cover up, I'm sorry, I….oh Peeta, what are we going to do?"

Peeta slowly trudged down the steps, shuffling to the kitchen with trepidation. Peeking around the corner, he saw his father sitting on the kitchen counter with a bottle of beer in front of him, gripping it like it was a lifeline. He took a long drag as he walked into the kitchen, meeting Peeta's eyes briefly before looking down.

"Son."

"Uh…hey dad. So…I guess I should explain…"

His father raised an eyebrow. "I…I thought you were maybe hurt or….I guess I should have figured out what was going on when I heard a…a-f-female…"

"Yeah, well…"

"I'm…I'm so sorry," he cringed.

"Me too," Peeta sighed.

"This is such a nightmare Peet, I…..look, are you being safe?"

"Dad…you already asked me that. Yes, we are. I swear, I mean-"

"No, erm….okay, sorry. I'm trying to cover my parental bases and I can't get the image out of my head arrrrgh," his father groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. "Peeta, buddy, what were you thinking? That is the last thing I expected when I walked through that door."

"Obviously!" Peeta exclaimed. "Dad, you could have knocked!"

"I wish I had," his father sighed, taking a log sip of his beer. "I don't think we have enough alcohol in this house to cleanse my memory. That poor girl. Peeta…"

"Are you mad?"

His father took another long sip of his beer, shaking his head. "No, I mean…you're an adult now so I can't tell you what to…" he gave a pained sigh. "Buddy, you gotta lock the door. First rule of getting it on in a place where other people live. Lock that door."

Peeta exhaled sharply in relief. He should have known his father would be cool about this. "Yeah, uh…looking back I definitely should have done that. Look though dad, I'm sorry I brought her back without permission. I thought you were visiting mom's aunt, so…"

"She sent me back here because she said I was driving her nuts," his dad sighed. "I saw your car here and I just…went upstairs thinking you were in your room playing video games or something. I didn't realize…"

"Yeah, well," Peeta sighed, shaking his head. "Uh…well Katniss had a rough week and I just wanted to bring her here for a night to relax and just…"

"Bang it out, apparently," his dad chuckled. Peeta looked over at him with a smirk.

"Dad."

"What? I'm sorry," his dad chuckled again. "I just saw you doing something a parent never wants to see their child do and…the horror of it all is making me laugh to hide how uncomfortable I am. Oh Lord, Peeta. Maybe Rye or Bannock, but you? This is…this takes the cake buddy."

"I know dad," Peeta winced. "I'm really sorry too. I just…I wanted to bring her home and…. things just…got out of hand so quickly. I…we didn't mean to-"

"Stop right there," his dad pleaded, pinching the bridge of his nose. He set down his beer bottle and gripped the countertop. "I know you didn't mean for me to walk in. Obviously," he winced. "But you guys are being safe? You've both been tested and whatnot?"

"Yes, dad. I swear. Katniss…went to her…girl doctor and I…got tested after that Cassie thing."

He felt like an idiot talking about this with his father, even though the two of them had always had an open book relationship. Peeta had drunkenly confessed to his dad what had really happened between him and Cassie a few nights before he left for camp the last summer. He was drunk, lonely, and heartbroken and when his father had offered a friendly ear, Peeta had jumped at the chance to pour his heart out. He didn't regret it but it was still awkward to talk to his father about such things.

"Good, uh….good," his dad said. He made a face and took another drink. "You are so damn lucky it was me and not your mother."

Peeta cringed. "Are you gonna tell her?"

His father heaved a sigh, his shoulders slumping. "No. Against my better judgment, no, I'm not going to tell your mother. I know she'd take it out on Katniss for corrupting her baby boy when…I'm sure you're as much to blame for your behavior as she is unfortunately," his dad muttered, avoiding his eyes. "I won't tell her because I want to give that girl up there that you seem to…care about a lot a chance with your mother. You do care for her, right son?"

Peeta felt his heart clench in his chest. "I love her dad. So much. So much I just…get carried away at times. Not on purpose."

His father nodded. "That's…good to hear. Especially after what I witnessed," he said slowly, shaking his head. "Just…be safe and responsible and treat her…respectfully."

Peeta's cheeks flamed as he realized he did treat Katniss respectfully, although that was probably difficult to see since he'd been engaging in some rather graphic rough sex with her when his father had walked in on them. Respectful was probably not the word that came to mind.

"I will dad. I…I love her a lot and I care about her. I'd never hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't son. Now…think you can coax her downstairs so I can meet her?"

Peeta crept back up the steps to his room, carefully flicking on the lamp by the door. He spied a conspicuous lump in the center of the bed beneath his comforter. Pulling it back, he saw Katniss on her side with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Babe?" he asked.

She stared blankly forward.

"Katniss? You alright. I talked to my dad…"

"And are you going to live to see Christmas?"

"I think so," he sighed. "He wants to meet you. Erm…again."

Katniss made a whimpering noise. "I think I might die," she admitted.

Peeta sat down on the bed beside her and brushed some hair away from her eyes.

"Katniss….he's embarrassed too."

She nodded blankly. "Okay then. I'm pretty sure I might die then. Die of humiliation," she sighed.

He glanced down at her. "Would it make you feel any better that he promised not to tell my mom?"

She opened one eye and looked up at him. "It might help a little."

"And…and I mean at least it wasn't my mom. Or Rye. Or Bannock. Shit, those guys would never let us live that down in a million years. It could have been worse."

Katniss untucked her legs and sat up. "Peeta…worse? Your dad caught us doing it. In his house. Doggy style. He had my lacy tank top in his hand when he opened the door. Like he saw us doing it. He didn't just…find your condom stash or see a dirty text. He saw me on my knees with you behind me and I was just moaning your name and… This is so horrible I don't even want to think about what I'm going to say to him. I seriously considered crawling out your two story bedroom window while you were downstairs and hitchhiking my way back to my house."

Peeta gave her a skeptical look.

She tucked her hair behind her ears. "There's a white trellis outside your window that is within three feet of a sturdy looking branch. Trust me, I thought about it," she deadpanned.

Peeta put his arm around her. "Bab…I'm sorry. He's sorry, you're sorry…I think someday we can honestly just laugh about this and forget that it happened."

She let her head fall forward onto his chest and heaved a sigh. "Peeta…oh my god."

"Just remember. It could have been my mother."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: December 14th

Katniss

She tossed and turned on the mattress, unable to find an agreeable spot. She'd been tossing and turning for what felt like hours in the unfamiliar house, the horrible memory from earlier playing over and over in her head like a loop. The guest bed in one of the Mellark's spare rooms was more comfortable than any bed she'd ever slept in, but for some reason she couldn't get over what happened earlier and relax enough to sleep. Despite Peeta's reassurance that his father was a 'cool dad' and would eventually forgive them both and move on, she was beyond mortified. What had happened to them belonged in a Most Gruesome tales of Meet the Parents magazine column that people read and questioned whether or not they were real. Why did these things always seem to happen to her?

Glancing sideways at the glowing clock on the nightstand, she realized sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon. Her heart was still pounding in her chest and her mouth felt dry and coarse. How would she face Mr. Mellark in the morning? Or at Christmas? Or ever?

What had started out as a fun evening alone in Peeta's house had quickly taken a turn for the horrific when his father had walked in on them. After Peeta had eventually coaxed her downstairs, she'd finally met Peeta's father – officially, anyway. He'd gone for a hug at the same time she'd stuck out her hand and then they'd done this awkward exchange it was just…horrible. Staring up at the white ceiling, she cringed miserably and shook her head.

How could things have gone so terribly? This was something out of a bad movie, not her life. She was used to being the single girl whose biggest problem was deciding what to study next or whether or not to change out of her sweatpants for the day. She wasn't used to trying to recover from her boyfriend's rich father walking in on her having adventurous sex with his son.

She flipped the covers back and gave another sigh before heaving herself out of the bed. The day had gone from terrible to worse after she'd been convinced to stop hiding and go downstairs. They'd ordered out from a local Italian restaurant and she'd barely been able to look up from her tortellini long enough to answer Mr. Mellark's questions about her school and family. In all honesty she wasn't even sure she could remember what they'd talked about over the short, awkward dinner. Peeta had sat beside her the entire time, rambling nervously just to fill the awful silence that seemed to loom between the three of them. Mr. Mellark hadn't even suggested she sleep in the guestroom – she'd insisted on it. The thought of him even thinking she was doing…well, that with his son again while he was in the house made her shiver with humiliation as she pulled on a sweatshirt and quietly navigated the dark hallway. Maybe some tea would help her feel better.

Katniss made her way down the back staircase to the kitchen, frowning as she smelled….cookies? She realized a second too late that someone had beaten her to the kitchen. Mr. Mellark looked up before she could retreat, his chiseled face showing surprise as she made it to the last step.

"Katniss," he greeted her, surprise to his tone. "You're up this late?"

She nodded, pulling the edges of her sweatshirt over her fingers. "Uh…yeah. I couldn't sleep."

Peeta's father licked his lips and offered her a crooked smile. "I couldn't either. Can I get you something?" he offered politely. It figured: even humiliated Mr. Mellark was still the best example of politeness and hospitality. She wanted to collapse into the tiled floor and die.

She shrugged, stepping a little closer to investigate the heavenly aroma that was winding through the large kitchen. Tupperware containers full of flour, sugar, and other baking necessities were open on the counter beside him, and there were at least six different cookie sheets waiting to be filled. He was rolling out dough on one of the large granite countertops, flour sprinkled everywhere. The front of his white apron was thick with it and there was even a small amount smeared across his cheek. He was handsome, like Peeta, she realized. They had the same strong jaw and kind eyes.

"I actually came down to look for some tea," she said slowly. "But-"

He held up the tea kettle on the stove. "Will dandelion tea work?"

She raised one eyebrow. Dandelion tea? That sounded perfect, although it was the last thing she'd expected Peeta's father to have brewing already. It was far from popular as far as flavor, and the trendier green and English teas usually took up the grocery store shelves making it difficult to find. The only way she knew of it was from making it from dandelion plants with her father when he was alive. The thought of him made her already dry throat tighten slightly.

"That sounds great….you like dandelion tea?"

"I thought I was the only one," he said. "Most stores don't sell it."

"I uh…I used to make that with my dad. From the leaves," she replied awkwardly.

"Have a seat, I'll pour you some," he offered, hurrying to one of the endless cabinets lining the kitchen. He pulled out a mug and didn't waste any time pouring a steaming cup and placing it in front of her. "It's probably not as good as the real thing, but…I like it. I drink it because I like the bitter taste and it doesn't have caffeine, so…"

"I like it too."

She accepted it, poking her hands out of her sweatshirt to wrap them around the warm mug. He gave her a tiny smile before wiping his hands on his apron and clenching his jaw slightly. She'd been so nervous and ashamed at dinner that she'd barely even looked at him. But now in the middle of the night seeing him halfway covered in flour he looked just as she'd pictured him. Middle aged, good looking, an older version of Peeta but with darker hair and a few more laugh lines. Mr. Mellark had many of the same features that Peeta did, she realized; kind, deep set eyes, a strong, angular jaw, and a nervous smile that was both somehow vulnerable and pleasing all at once. His voice even had the same soft, curling lilt to it at times, especially when he spoke quietly like Peeta did. She felt herself slowly relax as she let her mind compare the two men. Katniss sipped her tea and sighed.

He looked up at her and gave her a charming grin. "So….you caught me. When I can't sleep I come down here and bake."

She leaned over the counter as he covered his hands in flour again and began rolling out more dough. He took a Christmas tree shaped cookie cutter and began carefully cutting out shapes.

"I guess it's a habit."

"Sugar cookies?"

He nodded. "I like frosting them. Kinda like each one is its own little art project. But I'll probably do that tomorrow so that Peeta can help. That's always been our thing, strangely."

She felt herself smile. "It is?"

"Yeah, he….he used to help me at the shop. When he was too little to lift the bags of flour or man the ovens with his big brothers he would feel left out and pout. To keep him happy and out of his mother's hair I would sometimes let him help me frost the cupcakes or ice cookies. He took to it and…kid's got more talent than I ever did."

"That's really cute. I can see that. He's very creative. He made me a cupcake with a katniss flower on it while we were at camp," she admitted in a soft voice. She sipped her tea and sighed as the bitter yet calming liquid rolled down her throat. "I think that's when I really fell for him."

His dad looked up at her as he used a spatula to place the cookies on the baking sheets. "Peeta made you a cupcake at camp? He baked for you?"

She nodded and he snorted.

"He is his father's son," he muttered to himself. Katniss smiled, making him shrug. "That's a move I would definitely try."

"Well it worked," she laughed softly. "He just…won me over so easily. I went to camp thinking it would just be this awful summer. Like, endless nights getting eaten by mosquitos and having gum stuck in my hair and dealing with whiny kids and too much macaroni art….but it wasn't like that at all."

"The kids were nice?" he asked.

She shook her head and laughed to herself. "Well, they weren't always nice, and there definitely was too much macaroni art, but…I didn't expect to meet Peeta, no."

His father grinned. "I remember him calling me to tell me he'd met a girl."

Instantly her mind drifted back to Camp Panem the summer before. It had only been a little more than six months ago that she'd seen Peeta for the first time. Seeing him standing outside the mess hall on the first day of camp, cheeks already a little sunburnt, his hair freshly cut, and his Camp Panem t-shirt looking brand new. It felt like yesterday they were just exchanging their first shaky words or a nervous kiss in front of her cabin. In the back of her mind she ached for the freedom of summer again.

"Oh?"

He nodded, sliding another tray of cookie dough into one of their large ovens. "I was happy he'd met you, I just…I hoped you'd be kind to him. He told you about last year I take it?"

She leaned against the back of the kitchen stool, gripping the warm mug as her mind flashed way Peeta used to look at her when they first started talking. Vulnerable, almost shy, and hopeful. Almost exposed at times when he would talk to her. Yes, she certainly remembered being able to practically smell 'broken hearted' on him almost right away. He'd been so eager to get to know her and give his heart to her, yet she could still remember seeing a cautious demeanor to him at times.

"Yeah, I….he told me about that."

Peeta's dad gave her an understanding no. "I was afraid that girl broke him. But I'm glad he bounced back. He upgraded," he said sweetly.

Katniss dipped her head and chewed her lip. Why was he being so nice to her? Especially after what he caught them doing?

Mr. Mellark closed the oven and turned back to her. "Did you want to help?"

She gave her head a little shake and tried not to look sheepish. "I try to stick to the basics. I had to learn to cook those to feed my little sister, but…I don't do well with the fancier things," she admitted. He gave her a warm smile and shrugged.

"We each do something well; cooking's just not yours?"

"No," she smiled, taking another sip of her tea. "Not cooking."

He sighed, ripping off another chunk of dough from the large heap. He began to twist it between his flour-covered hands until it was soft enough to roll out onto the countertop.

"Peeta bakes and Peeta….gives a lot of himself freely," he said slowly. She realized Mr. Mellark's eyes weren't blue like Peeta's; instead, they were a light shade of brown. Somehow though, he managed to have the same look as Peeta did when he spoke about something meaningful.

"Yes. He does," she agreed quietly, her eyes sinking down to her mug.

"Katniss…you seem like a really nice girl," he sighed. "And I know that Peeta thinks the world of you. He'd different this time than…all those other times. He really loves you."

She looked up at Peeta's father with a steady gaze. "I know he does. I really love him too," she stated firmly, her voice still quiet. What was he getting at?

"Good," he nodded, picking up a new cookie cutter. "I guess I just…I like you and I don't want you to break his heart. I only say that because I was the same way when I was his age and I just…I gave myself so freely and I know what it's like to be rejected. I think a heart like his can only take that so many times before it changes. Hardens, I guess?"

Katniss chewed her lip. Something about the way his father said that made her believe that perhaps he had had his heart stomped on more than once as well. The last thing she ever wanted to do was cause Peeta intentional pain. She might be insensitive, a bit closed off, and short tempered at times, but she knew she would never be able to hurt Peeta on purpose. It was hard to imagine him doing something that would make her even want to.

"It's silly I guess," he said, scratching his cheek. She smiled faintly as she watched him accidently smear more flour on his cheek. "Is it a lame dad move of me to beg you to not break my son's heart?"

Katniss laughed softly at his honest words. "No, it's not. You care about him."

His father nodded. "I really do. I love all of my kids, but….Peeta is so much like me. He's my youngest, my baby, and….I hate seeing him get his heart pulled through the wringer. I hate seeing my little guy hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt him," she promised softly. "He….he means a lot to me and….and I know that people like him are rare. But he's good. He's better than I deserve, that's for sure."

He sighed across the counter, lightly rolling a ball of dough in his large hands. "Why would you say that?"

She shrugged. "Peeta is really the first…serious thing I've had with anyone. No one before him really…cared, I guess," she admitted.

It was the truth. After her father's death, things had gone steadily downhill for her family. While Gale had stepped up as a best friend when she'd needed him, there wasn't really much of a romantic interest from him save for that one awkward week. While most of her time and effort went to taking care of her sister while her mother worked, she did sometimes wonder what it would be like to be more than just friends with a boy. However, not many high school boys were willing to branch out and date the poor girl with tatty clothes that spent her weekends babysitting. She'd been so focused on getting good grades and avoiding drunken parties in college that the opportunity for a lot of companionship had simply not shown itself.

"Well I can't imagine that, Katniss, but I can tell you one thing I do know for sure; my son really cares about you and I think it's great. Just…maybe learn to lock doors," he trailed off, glancing away.

Katniss felt her cheeks warm up at the mention of their embarrassing moment earlier that day. "Oh um…yeah. I'm so-"

He raised his hand and shook his head. "Let's just…forget it ever happened, yeah? I'm sure I don't want to relive it any more than you do, so…let's just…never speak of it again?"

She gave him a relieved smile. "Deal."

Katniss could tell Peeta was a little perplexed the next morning. She'd gotten him out of bed early and exchanged a bright smile with his father, the tension from the day before gone. Now as she sat and listened happily as his father chatted away over pancakes, she was aware Peeta was more than a little confused. He was unaware that she'd spent a good hour talking to his father the night before, and that was alright – some things were better left unsaid, she figured. After a long heart to heart conversation about the state of things the night before she'd felt much better about Peeta's father and had even hugged him before returning back upstairs to sleep. The three of them were now sitting at the breakfast table behind an enormous stack of pancakes that Mr. Mellark had waiting for them when they came downstairs.

She met his father's eyes over her coffee cup and he gave her a genuine smile. It was nice to be able to look him in the eye again, she realized.

Peeta gave her leg a reassuring rub under the table as she speared another fluffy pancake with her fork.

"These are amazing dad," he said. "You outdid yourself."

"Had to welcome you home! And butter you up so that you'd agree to spend the afternoon at the bakery with me?" his father asked hopefully, his voice rising a few octaves.

Peeta rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, Christmas cookies?"

"You guessed it. Can you swing by after you take Katniss home?"

Katniss watched as Peeta pretended to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I guess I can. Sure, dad. I owe you," he said. Katniss coughed as she realized again just why Peeta owed his father.

Mr. Mellark nodded. "You do. But…that's beside the point. I think it goes without saying that in order to keep this a happy holiday…yesterday will just…disappear from my memory."

Peeta exhaled beside her. "So you won't tell mom?"

Katniss looked up at his father with a matching hopeful look that mirrored Peeta's. She knew his mother was a no-nonsense, sometimes quite strict woman and she knew that if that woman caught wind of yesterday's events she was done for as Peeta's girlfriend. His father might overlook it, but from what she knew of Mrs. Mellark that wasn't the case.

His father shook his head, dragging his fork through the syrup on his plate. "No, I'm not going to tell your mother. I decided I like Katniss here and well…I want her to stick around for as long as she can. We'll forget about yesterday and…never speak of it again," he sighed, meeting her eyes across the breakfast table. She gave Peeta's father a sincerely happy smile and felt herself relax. If they wanted her around, then she would stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, Papa Mellark : )
> 
> What did you think of their conversation? Would you have been able to look him in the eye again? LoL!
> 
> Thanks for reading and please review! *MUAH*


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: December 18th

Peeta: this was a bad idea

Katniss: I told you it would be

Peeta: I'm never coming to the mall again the weekend before Christmas

Peeta: even my dad is losing his patience

Katniss: I don't think I've been to a mall since high school

Peeta: had to come to get you something special ; )

Katniss: You give me enough. Just do me a favor and don't get trampled by sale hungry soccer moms hopped up on red bull

Peeta: I'll try

He slipped his phone into his pocket, shaking his head at Katniss. She tended to overact at times, but he wasn't sure today was one of them. The local mall was swarming with people, which shouldn't have surprised him. Black Friday was the shopper's holiday and the people in the mall that day were taking it as seriously as his father was. They'd already been in a dozen stores already as he tried to pick out the perfect presents for his wife, and Peeta had good naturedly volunteered to come along. He might have joked about soccer moms hopped up on Red Bull, but he was quiet serious about finding the perfect Christmas present for Katniss. However, he still wasn't entirely sure what that would be. He sighed as he sipped the last of his mocha frappe before tossing it in the trash, hoping an idea would strike him sooner or later. His father made a face over the counter before motioning Peeta over with a frantic hand gesture.

"Which one would your mother like the best?" he asked, holding up two soft looking scarves.

Peeta made a face before checking both price tags. "That one," he said, pointing to the more expensive of the two. His father rolled his eyes before motioning for the selected item to be charged and wrapped.

"You find anything for Katniss yet?"

"Not yet," he replied calmly, looking around the mall. Katniss was difficult to by for, only because she wasn't a typical girl who liked anything pink or sparkly or expensive. She had selective tastes. He wanted to get her something special that told her how much he cared for her. He pictured the small, woven bracelet with the arrow charm he'd made for her at camp – the leather was soft and worn now from her never taking it off, and soon it would probably need replacing. Maybe I'll make her another one this year at camp, he thought.

They'd both gotten letters from Effie with the Camp Panem Seal across the top, inviting them back to be counselors again next summer. He'd already gotten a text from Finnick saying he'd be back and a rather threatening I'd better see u in June, bread boy text from Johanna. Either way he planned on being back at Camp with Katniss this summer. He wanted a repeat of last, but this time even hopefully sexier. He sheepishly thought of all the new places he wanted to take her to enjoy together. They'd waited until one of the last nights of camp last year to actually have sex; now that they'd crossed that bridge (and many times) he wanted to take things to another level.

"Let's head down this way," his father interjected, interrupting his thoughts. Peeta nodded, coughing as he held the large Macys bag over his groin. He needed to stop thinking things like that if he was going to make it through an entire day of shopping.

His father paused in front of a bright store with scantily clad mannequins in the front window.

"Uhm," he paused, scratching his head, "I might duck in here, if you don't mind…"

Peeta's jaw dropped as a sickened feeling settled over him. "Dad…Victoria's Secret? Seriously?"

His father huffed in frustration, smacking his bags against his leg. "Look, Peet, uh…sometimes when you've been married for a while it's…well you should-"

Peeta held up his hands. "Just…just stop there dad. Too much info, too many pictures, just…too much," he muttered. "Do what you have to do."

His father clapped him on the shoulder before ambling uncomfortably into the women's lingerie shop. Peeta glanced awkwardly inside, noting how many girls were there happily digging through the drawers of colorful underwear, bras, and other various items. They all looked to be about Katniss' age….so it couldn't be all bad, could it?

Before he'd realized it, he was inside the shop being accosted by a sales girl in a tight black outfit. "Can I help you?" she asked, her eyes raking over him in question. She peered over her black framed glasses at him as he stammered uncomfortably.

"Uhhh….welll I'm shopping."

"Uh huh."

She gave him a hard look as she clearly was trying to determine if he was a pervert in a women's store or a lost soul looking for a present.

"For my girlfriend…"

Her slightly hardened face instantly softened. "Aw, that's so sweet! What are you shopping for today then? A teddy? Maybe some edible body glitter?"

Peeta felt his face grow incredibly hot. "No, uh…I mean that's all…it sounds…nice, erm….but I was thinking more like maybe more like some….some sweatpants. She's…I uh…I think she would like some of those. Like…uh, I see girls wearing these…" he trailed off, pointing nervously in the direction of some brightly colored fleece pants. The salesgirl nodded in recognition and led him over to the display. Peeta shook his head at his stupid nervousness. Why was it that guys always fantasized about going in to one of these places, but actually being in it was almost like hell? His palms began to sweat a little less as she left him to browse through the bright, candy colored racks of comfortable looking clothes.

He reached out, feeling the fabric. Yes, she would definitely like this, he thought. Stuffing a pair of black sweatpants over his arm, he frowned until he found a rack of gauzy looking long sleeved shirts that seemed to match. He picked up two before heading to the hoodies. He pictured Katniss wearing them on a cold day without him in her dorm room, lounging around as they spoke on the phone to each other.

No, this wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.

It was a horrible, horrible, horrible idea to come to that store.

Peeta stood next to his father in line, the bustling shoppers jostling them from one side to the other as cash registers beeped and clicked with sale after sale. Sweat formed across his hairline as he just barely missed his father's embarrassed glance. He could see his father trying to hide something light blue and lacy under his arm, but the damage had already been done in Peeta's mind. Was his father really buying that?

EW…it's not for mom, it's not for mom, it's not…oh god, that is totally for my mom, Peeta cringed. No matter how he thought of it though, he realized that the lacy blue item his father was very unsuccessfully trying to hide from him was definitely meant for his mother. Deep down he was a little thankful his father was trying so hard to keep things interesting with his wife, however, on the surface Peeta could hardly keep himself from gagging and thinking what the item would be used for.

His palms grew sweaty again.

In the end, he'd chosen two pairs of comfy pants for Katniss, along with a fleece zip up sweat shirt and a pair of fuzzy looking slippers that looked warm and only slightly girly. Most of the things in the store were far too pink and frilly for her taste, but he hoped she would appreciate the effort of him picking out comfortable clothes for her instead of a scrap of lace that would just make her feel like an object.

He glanced at one of the mannequins dolled up in a swingy, loose looking piece of satin. The black lace covering the bosom left little to the imagination but didn't look overly intimidating. Would Katniss ever consider wearing something like that? The picture of her tan skin against the black lace instantly filled his mind, and he felt his pants grow slightly tighter. He missed her when she wasn't around; he hated the distance that seemed to loom between them, and not being able to be with her whenever he wanted. He wondered what it would be like to never be apart. When they were older would they live together? Would they share an apartment? What would she do if he bought her something like that?

He pictured leaving the tell-tale pink bag on the bed for her to find before work one morning, the hopeful feeling filling him all day. He imagined what it would be like to have her meet him at the door of their apartment in the little black nightgown, her dusty pink nipples peeking through the lace as her silver eyes glittered with want-

"You got everything you want buddy?"

His father's voice broke through his reverie, jarring him back to the present. The reality of his situation his him like a brick. He was in the middle of a girlie lingerie shop with his father on Black Friday, and they were buying girlie shit while he fantasized and had a semi-boner that he was covering up with PINK sweatpants as his father stood next to him clutching a blue nightie that was for his mother.

Nice, peet.

"Uh, yeah," he said, throwing his selections up onto the counter.

The salesgirl gave them a cheery smile from behind the cash register, her floral perfume floating over the white marble counter. "Find everything you want?"

Peeta and his father both managed to nod and mutter something intelligible.

"We have a special on our lickable body shimmer today. Its buy one get one free. Can I interest you in some for your special ladies? I let my boyfriend lick it off me the other night and he said the hot chocolate flavor was sooooo good!" she chirped, her eyebrows rising over her black-framed glasses.

Peeta thought the floor might as well open up and swallow him whole.

But something stopped his self-loathing thought, and that was the idea of slowly licking his way down Katniss' slightly shimmering collar bone, tracing his tongue down the valley between her breasts. He thought of the way she would taste faintly of cocoa as he kissed her skin, the place in her chest where her heart was pounding taught against the skin.

He grabbed a strawberry champagne flavored one and the hot chocolate one and shoved them at the salesgirl before his father could look at him or Peeta could think.

Peeta patiently held the end of the garland at the bottom of the stairs as his mother worked her way up, step by step. She chewed her lip and made growling noises to herself as she tried her best to straighten out every single branch of the fake garland. She would wrap her end of it around the banister only to look at it once and go stomping back up the steps to 'fix it'. Peeta barely noticed. Instead, he stared at the twinkling lights wound into the fake greenery and hummed a Christmas song to himself that had been playing at the mall.

After the Victoria's Secret crisis, he had his father had gone their separate ways for a while to recover. Peeta had wandered aimlessly for almost a half an hour before something else – the perfect gift for Katniss – had caught his eye. He'd purchased the necklace as fast as he could get his credit card out of his wallet. It was so perfect it was uncanny. Now he would just have to wait an entire month to give it to her.

His mother growled under her breath and shook her head as she surveyed her work. Peeta's arms were tired and the stupid garland was deceivingly rough to handle on even his hands – the fake greenery had to be hurting his mother's. However, he knew that if it took until midnight to get it 'just right' in her eyes, then that's how long it would take. He'd much rather be in his bedroom with his Xbox at the moment, but he would be home for another four days and only wanted to keep the peace.

"I can't get it right…it looks too flat in that spot by the railing. Doesn't it look flat?"

"The…the branch? No, it looks…good," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Mom, it doesn't have to be perfect."

His mother raised a blonde eyebrow. Peeta gulped, still easily intimidated by his pint sized blonde mother even at his age.

"I want it to look nice. I enjoy entertaining and having my home look nice. Don't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I'll go fix it," he sighed slumping his shoulders. He dutifully went down two steps on the carpeted staircase, twisting the branches until they resembled a real bough of pine instead of a squashed piece of plastic.

"Better?"

She eyed him meticulously, then the garland. "Better."

She was quiet a moment as she arranged a few more of the branches, turning her head from side to side as she admired her work. "You still bringing Katniss to the party Christmas day?"

He nodded. "I want to, yeah."

She paused. "Your father told me you bought her a few presents at the mall today."

Peeta nodded again, feeling like a little kid again. His mother used to pump him for information and answers, her steely blue eyed gaze making him divulge all he knew. Nothing had changed.

"I did get her some…stuff. But it's a surprise."

She shrugged. "Will I like her?"

Peeta let out a nervous laugh. "Uhm…I like her. So I'd like to think you like her."

He heard her make a guttural noise in her throat as she began arranging the lights on the garland. "That doesn't mean much."

Peeta heaved a sigh. "Mom…she….she's important. Can you be nice?" he snapped, his tone on the verge of sharp.

His mother's blonde eyebrows shot up. "Why wouldn't I be nice?"

"Mom," he chided, his face bordering between incredulous and stern. "You know how you can be."

His mother made a chucking noise. "Is it so bad that I'm critical of the girl you claim to be in love with?"

"I don't claim anything, I am," he snapped. His patience with his mother felt like a rubber band, stretched too far and about to snap. He wasn't sure what else he could say to get her to realize his feelings for Katniss were indeed sincere and not like the puppy-love crushes of the past.

"I just want what's best for you. You're my baby."

Peeta gripped the garland in his fingers, the fake pine digging into his palms. "That's just it though, mom! I'm not a baby and you've raised me to only want the best for myself. I've seen what's out there by my stupid mistakes in the past and I've stepped it up. She is the best. She's…she's the best for me, anyway. She's perfect."

His eyes flicked up to see a rare stunned look on his mother's face. "Well…okay then," she said softly, a finality to her tone. Peeta gave her a tight lipped smile.

Peeta could hear Katniss clutching the sides of the Styrofoam cup in her hand as he nibbled his way up her neck to her earlobe. He brushed the flap of her winter hat away so that he could lightly pull the delicate skin into his mouth to nip playfully before returning to the spot where her braid hit her neck. Katniss squirmed in the passenger seat, her body twisted awkwardly across the center console.

"That…feels amazing," she admitted a little sheepishly. Peeta snickered against her cold skin, his teeth grazing the vein on the side of her neck. She jumped and then moaned as he worshipped it with his tongue, sucking lightly.

"Don't leave a mark! Oh…." She sighed. "Prim will see."

"I won't, I'm not," he assured her, placing his hand on her cheek to draw her mouth to his. His lips molded to hers, both of them groaning into the kiss. It was Saturday night and Peeta had picked her up several hours before to take her to the movies. They'd behaved and watched for most of it, but when Katniss' hand had dipped into the nearly empty popcorn bucket on his lap, he'd been pretty much done for. The light scraping of her fingernails so close to his groin made him nearly insane with need. They'd made it another fifteen minutes – sneaking looks at each other, teasing hand gestures, and not-so-innocent hand brushes before they'd decided not to have a repeat of their first movie-going experience together. Peeta still got a rush of blood to his groin every time he remembered the way he'd secretly gotten her off during the film.

"I told Prim I'd be home in fifteen minutes," she gasped slightly between kisses. Her voice had taken on that slightly raspy tone it did when she was turned on. He felt his pants tighten again.

"What are you, twelve? Curfew? Really, Everdeen?"

She chuckled hoarsely. "We've been saying goodbye for half an hour…"

Peeta shrugged, moving his mouth back to the soft skin below her ear. The gearshift was practically stabbing his side and his back ached from twisting, but they didn't have many other options than his car at the moment. Prim and Mrs. Everdeen were home for the night, as were his parents. That left them stranded in his car.

His car.

Peeta had a thought.

"We can park somewhere…just for a bit," he said hopefully, half asking, half stating the fact. "I mean we could. It would be better than just taking you home."

Katniss pulled away, her breath coming out in little white puffs of air in the cold car. "Park?"

He nodded, giving her a pleading look. "I…I don't want to say goodbye…and…"

She shook her head, sensing what he wanted. "I want to, too. Let's go."


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: December 19th

Peeta

Katniss had actually agreed to do it in the car. Peeta had pictured this scenario more than once in his mind, so finding the abandoned corner of the park a few blocks away from the movie theater was no difficult feat. He nervously killed the engine, letting the sedan fall silent. He could smell her anxiousness and excitement as he unbuckled his seat belt. He turned towards her, raising his eyebrows.

"You're sure?"

She shrugged, a nervous little smile playing on her lips. He could still smell the hot chocolate on her breath.

"Are you nervous?" he prodded, looking around the empty lot. They weren't far from the woods that lined the park, but his car was tucked rather safely into the darkest spot they could find. The chances of getting caught were slim, but present. Peeta felt a thrill shoot through him.

I find it slightly hot that we're technically in public and could possibly get caught. Wow, I am a dirty little pervert, he thought to himself. He shook his head and looked back at Katniss.

"Well…I mean, yeah," she laughed awkwardly. "We could get caught!"

"By…?" he played it off.

"Well…"

"Look," he sighed, "The last thing I want is to make you do something you don't-"

Katniss held up her hand, silencing him with a fingertip to his lips. "I never said I didn't want to, Mellark."

She let her finger fall, slowly plucking at his lower lip. She stared at his mouth, her eyes lit up in the dim lights of his dashboard.

"The last time we did this the consequences were….unpleasant," she sighed, shuddering slightly. Peeta remembered getting walked in on by his father and having one of his most intense orgasms ever be completely tainted by that memory. He still winced when he thought about it.

"Let's…not think about that. I'm a college guy Katniss and I'm horny every second of the day, but…remembering that day would make any guy go immediately….soft," he chuckled.

"So we won't talk about it," she agreed. "Well?"

Peeta gave her a challenging look, shaking his head at her. He jumped out of the car, hurrying to the backseat as his adrenaline spiked. Jumping in, he slammed the door shut again and gave her an expectant look. Katniss grinned at him as he positioned himself in the middle, spreading his arms out on either side. "Care to join me?"

Katniss guffawed loudly, setting her hot chocolate down in the cup holder. Kicking off her boots, she maneuvered her way into the backseat through the driver and passenger seats, Peeta pulling her onto his lap. She swiftly knocked the top of her head on the top of his car.

"Fuck…ow," she muttered. "What do we do now?"

Peeta rubbed the top of her head, making sure she hadn't caused any damage as he tried not to laugh at his endearingly awkward girlfriend.

"Well…I think we usually know what to do from here…" he teased, grabbing her chin gently in his fingers. He pulled her lips to his, Katniss settling her knees on either side of his hips. Her slightly cold fingers gripped his jaw, the pressure of her touch making his mouth open wider in welcome. He groaned against her mouth as she tasted him, teasingly mimicking the movements of something else with her tongue. She laughed against his lips and pulled back to rip the silly winter hat from her head.

Peeta felt his body grow re-accustomed to hers as it always did. He ran his hands up and down her sides, admiring her curves through her winter clothes. Feeling her like this always seemed to feel like coming home.

"It's been too long…"he groaned, moving to her neck. He pushed the lapels of her bulky winter coat aside, exposing the simple cotton shirt beneath it. It was long sleeved, dark blue, and had a ruffle running down her bosom that had been drawing his eye to her ample chest all evening. The shirt was innocent but what was beneath it was certainly not, thus making him even crazier with need.

"It really hasn't," she joked, letting out a little sigh as his lips traced her clavicle.

"It feels like it's been too long, how's that?" he corrected himself. "Fuck, this feels…"

Katniss pulled away. "What?"

Peeta chewed his bottom lip, looking up at her in the darkness. The windows were already fogged up, the dwindling heat in the car going unnoticed. The hormones and need racing through every molecule of their bodies were probably creating enough frantic heat to keep them more than comfortable, he realized.

"Wrong. Naughty…um…"

She grinned breathlessly, unzipping her coat. She tossed it into the passenger seat. "So? I never did things like this in high school. It's fun. I mean…I always had to hear about other girls doing this with their boyfriends."

"I never…uh," he groaned, losing focus as she leaned forward and kissed him. "I never did this in high school either," he admitted once his lips were free again. He could practically feel his eyes dilate as Katniss leaned back on his knees, straddling his hips snugly with her legs. The wanton look she gave him suddenly made up for all of that.

"Never?"

Peeta shook his head. "Never had the right girl I guess."

Katniss gave him a look that clearly stated 'well now you do' before reaching down and peeling her shirt off and tossing it to the floor of the car.

"Did you ever…ah…want to do anything like this? Like…do you ever think about it? Or did you?" he pressed.

Peeta leaned back against the seat as she unzipped his coat and let it join hers. She ran her hands down the front of his warm Henley shirt, her hands prodding playfully at his chest. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" he teased. "Well I'll assume that's a yes and I'll just have to try my best to live up to your little schoolgirl fantasies, Everdeen."

Leaning forward, he began lightly tracing his tongue down her chest again, her skin sweet tasting and clean. The area around his mouth was warm, but wherever his breath went it left a dewy trail that seemed to make Katniss' pulse throb against her skin. Or was that his imagination on overdrive? Was he the only one that felt like he was about to surge out of his skin with need? By the pants and little sighs she was letting slip out, he didn't think so.

"Oh…" she half coughed, half sighed as he let his teeth scrape against the top of her covered breast. "Take it off," she urged. Peeta grinned against the damp skin.

"You still want to do this here?"

Katniss bucked her hips against his, the stiff material of his jeans creating a friction between them that made him want to burst out of his clothes again.

He glanced down at the white cotton bra she wore. His mind flashed to the erotic, elaborate bras he'd seen earlier in the week in the mall. Somehow, the simplicity of the white cotton and the confidence of the woman in his lap seemed to overpower his desire for something that flashy. He felt his crotch twitch in appreciation as she shifted her weight forward, inviting him. Peeta wasted no time eagerly cupping her flesh in his palm and gently squeezing.

Katniss let out a cross between a shiver and a groan. "I just feel like I'm doing something I shouldn't be," she sighed. Peeta heard the creak of the car seat his head was resting on crunch slightly under Katniss' grip. Wanting to goad her further, he flattened his tongue against the thin, worn cotton, immediately soaking it where her nipple was.

"Oh…"

Peeta leaned up, breaking his teasing trance on her chest to shrug out of his button down flannel shirt and kick off his shoes. Katniss banged her head on the top of the car as she tried to kick off her shoes as well.

"Getting dressed again is going to be a nightmare," she grumbled.

Peeta struggled out of the Henley shirt underneath, nearly chewing through his lip as he watched Katniss' slightly shaky hands at the button on her jeans. She awkwardly peeled them off before settling back into his lap in nothing but her black, simple underwear.

"Let's make it worth it?" he challenged, smiling up at her.

Katniss leaned forward, bumping her forehead against his. He could already feel himself starting to sweat and they hadn't even done anything yet.

"Don't we always?"

He attacked her mouth with his, playfully drawing her lips against his with his teeth. Doing this in the backseat of his car was one of his deepest, most coveted fantasies. There was something so unbelievably erotic about the way the car was steaming up despite the cold and the confining space. His fingers snaked around behind her to fumble with the clasp on her bra. He peeled it off, tossing it carelessly somewhere in the front seat.

"Do you…is this bad that we're not in a bed?" he asked, tapping her shoulder.

Katniss pulled away from his neck, her eyes slightly incredulous in the darkness.

"No, why?"

Peeta's mouth twitched. "I just….I want to make sure you're okay with this."

Katniss let out a little laugh. "Peeta….yes. I'm fine with it. Now stop talking. I'm horny."

His dick twitched and his eyebrows shot up. "Wha….okay," he agreed, shaking his head. He wasn't going to ruin the moment by talking. The steadily rising temperature of the car was making their combined scents magnify over and over; it was a cloying mixture of Dove soap, her lavender smelling shampoo, detergent, and the telltale wisps of her arousal. It was a scent her knew only from the few times he'd gotten to go down on her, for Katniss was strangely paranoid about that particular pastime. She'd usually only let him do it if she was freshly showered or before sex. Only once had she been too drunk to care. He understood her qualms about the act, however, his only concern when he was down between her legs was teasing and pleasing her all the way to her climax. If anything her girly, tangy essence riled him in a primal way that he could barely describe. His jeans were now so tight he thought he might rip through the crotch if he didn't take them off.

"I have to…fuck; I need to take my pants off."

Katniss snickered, raising herself up off his lap so that he could shimmy the rest of the way out of his constricting pants. Fuck it, he thought, sliding his boxers down with them. He settled against the backseat, firmly yanking her back onto his lap. Katniss giggled again, leaning forward to let her teeth scrape against the shell of his ear.

Peeta felt his hips surge against her center, his cock frustratingly meeting the barrier of her underwear as she straddled him. He groaned in frustration, eager to find a way to tease her the same way she was teasing him. Reaching up, he cupped her breasts in his hands, rolling her nipples against his thumbs. Waiting for her groan of approval, he gently but firmly tugged the tips just enough to make her hips jerk in appreciation.

"Oh Peeta…."

He chuckled. "I love that sound."

Katniss let her head fall backwards as he moved to take her into his mouth. She'd told him before (in a rare dirty text) that when he did that it sent a jolt of pleasure straight between her legs. The stiff skin was welcoming to his teasing mouth, growing taught with the first lick of his tongue. He nipped her softly, enjoying the moan of approval that she let slip. He was met with the same reaction on her other stiff peak as well. Katniss wound her hands in his hair, roughly holding him in place as she shifted her hips in his lap. He sucked harder, hoping to goad her into crying out louder.

She didn't disappoint.

"Oh! Oh fuck, why does that feel so good…." She rambled, her words strung together. Peeta grinned in answer, reaching for the end of her braid. She huffed in mock irritation as he pulled the fastener out, letting her dark waves cascade over her shoulders. She'd lost some of her summer tan, but her skin was as gorgeous as ever. As she slid her hips over the bulge in his lap, he took the opportunity to tease back. Peeta thrust forward, increasing the friction between them as she began slowly grinding her hips against him. She probably wasn't even aware she was doing it, he realized.

"Wow…"

"Oh…Katniss," he half groaned, half begged. "I think I might rip your underwear off if we don't…if I can't…"

"Easy," she chided playfully. "I like these."

She let out a throaty giggle before shimmying out of her underwear. Peeta reached up with a chuckle, just barely catching her knee before she racked him in the balls.

"Ooops," she laughed.

"What? Oops is right," he exclaimed with a grin. "Now commere."

Peeta grabbed her knee, safely and firmly pulling her back on top of him. He watched in appreciation as she settled back onto his lap, a few waves of her hair falling forward over her shoulder again. It was dark to see a lot but he couldn't help but admire the way she looked in that moment: Beautiful, aroused, and almost out of her mind with need.

Katniss let out a light hiss as she lowered herself against his shaft, resting her weight on his throbbing member.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Peeta's eyebrows shot up. "What, no foreplay?"

Katniss let out a whining sound. "I'm horny and we might get caught….Mellark, I'm ready to do this if you are."

Peeta didn't get a chance for a rebuttal as she took his cock in her grasp, sliding her hand up and down him a few times. His head fell back against the backseat of the car, rolling forward only when she rose up on her knees above him to sink onto his length. His entire body went ridged with pleasure as her hot, wet center greeted him like an old friend. It was familiar and exciting all at the same time as she let herself engulf him completely. He faintly heard her let out another moan of approval.

He looked up at her through half-lidded eyes. "You sure you didn't miss this?"

She chuckled softly, her body relaxing against his stiffness. That was part of what Peeta loved about women, Katniss in general; while he was nothing but a stiff, riled up rod of tension, women were all soft curves, smooth skin and welcoming warmth. He was certain nothing could feel sweeter.

"I do love this," she admitted, moving forward to capture his mouth in his. Peeta felt himself grin against her lips, leaning forward to meet her halfway. Katniss squeezed with her feminine muscles, encasing his length inside of her so deep he thought there was no end in sight. Pleasure must have been etched on his face; she grinned at him in the darkness of the backseat before kissing him again. This time her tongue slid slowly past his lips, caressing him and tasting him as he fought to remain in control.

The only way he knew he was going to be able to do that was to distract himself.

"Lean back," he urged. Katniss raised an eyebrow, but did as she was told. She leaned back on his knees, twisting her neck to keep from banging her head on the ceiling of the car. Peeta wasted no time dropping his hand between them and easily finding the tender nub of nerves between her legs. He began rubbing small, tight circles where they were joined; slowing to lazy circles as he felt her begin to enjoy it. A surge of pleasure seemed roll over her, urging her hips into motion. He clenched his teeth and hissed in both pleasure and sweet pain as her walls clutched him. Holding on like this was the best kind of agony.

This wasn't going to last long.

"Oh….oh yes, right there right there right there," she mumbled, her throaty voice almost incoherent. Peeta watched in fascination as Katniss began grinding herself against every and any body part he offered her. Her breaths came in tiny pants, then none at all as she seemed to hold it all in.

"Holy…"

Katniss leaned forward, dropping her forehead against his with a soft thump.

"Peeta…holy shit," she gasped. He grinned up at her, his eyes crossing they were so close. Sliding a hand around her back, he rested it on the swell of her ass. Sucking his bottom lip between his teeth, he jerked her forward with enough force to make her cry out.

"Shit!" she managed to squeak. He felt himself throb at her words, his orgasm gaining momentum. He was so close he could feel the strain his body was making to keep himself under control. Katniss came with a gasping shudder, her body twitching a few times as he forced his tired thumb to keep up the good work.

She relaxed on top of him, stilling her hips as her feminine walls contracted and squeezed him. He was pretty sure heaven was a ruse and this was where he wanted to go when he died.

"Your turn," she finally grinned, shoving her hair away from her face. Peeta chuckled at her willingness, sliding both hands to rest on her hips. Her body began to move on top of his, the rhythm quickly building back up to the pace they'd set before. The slickness between them was maddening; between the wetness from her first orgasm to the sweat and steam they'd built up in the hot car, this was every bit the dirty, raunchy sex he'd been craving.

It was also probably their hottest.

"Peeta…..I…I think I might come again," she gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Shit I…I'm so close I can't…"

He felt his jaw clench and then fall open as his brain struggled to decipher her words in the midst of his passion. His hands slid up and down her back, coaxing her closer to him. The tips of her nipples rubbed against his chest as she bobbed on top of him, little hushed gasps falling from her lips every few seconds. Peeta gripped her hips tightly, thrusting in time to meet her as the car began to shake slightly. He inhaled a thick breath of the air around them and was met with the combined scent of their sex.

"Fuck…"

He snapped his hips up, filling her to the brink. The wetness between her legs was both welcoming and frustrating; he worried she wouldn't have enough of the delicious friction she needed to come undone a second time.

"Oh…Oh..

"Fuck, Katniss…"

And then it happened.

He came unglued, his body spiraling into its release as the same time as hers. Katniss stilled slightly on top of him, driving her hips against his in an erratic, frenzied pattern as she came. She leaned against his neck; her frantic breaths making him almost shiver as she rode out her second climax. He felt his body pulse inside of hers, both of them milking the divine pleasure of the aftershocks that came with release.

"Oh my God," he groaned, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. Katniss exhaled shakily, her mouth falling open. In the darkness he watched her tongue slip out and wet her lips. She looked so satisfied it made him want to do what they'd done all over again. She stilled on his lap, the sheen of perspiration visible across her collar bone as she met his gaze in the dark backseat.

"Did we just…"

"…finish together? Yeah…we did. Holy shit," she sighed. They'd been trying to get the art of climaxing together down for months now; Peeta was convinced it was an urban legend of romance novels and bad pornos, but now he knew it just took practice.

Lots of it.

And that was something he was more than happy to do.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: December 24th

Katniss

She clicked on the link and signed into her school's online classroom website, anxiously gnawing on her nails as she waited for it to load. It was too early for grades to be posted for the semester, yet she couldn't help herself – she had to look just to make sure. Maybe some strange, cosmic force had made them post early and she would receive an early Christmas present in the form of straight A's.

Or not.

This was a process she completed nearly twice a day for the past two weeks. Her grades that semester would either qualify or disqualify her for the grant she needed to get into Peeta's pricy private school. These grades would either let her be with him or force her to stay put for at least another semester.

Her teeth snagged a sensitive piece of skin on her already scabbed finger, the sharp little pain barely registering as she waited for their sluggish internet connection to finally just fucking work.

Work, please….work faster…fuckkk…. She thought to herself as she continued to bite at the raw skin.

She was met with a blank screen; the same blank screen from earlier that day that signified grades had yet to be posted. Heaving a sigh, she scrubbed her face with her hands and tried to take a calming breath to remind herself that not transferring wasn't the end of the world.

Or was it?

She trusted Peeta. Probably more than she should. But the bottom line was that she trusted him and knew that another semester apart wouldn't make or break them. They'd survived an entire semester apart and had managed to get together plenty of times. But was that the same thing as attending the same school? No, she knew it wasn't. They'd had their ups and downs while being apart, that was for sure. Her pregnancy scare, dealing with Cassie, the long days and nights between visits. She'd finally become the kind of girl she hated – the girl who was a ghost of a being between boyfriend visits.

Katniss had always thought it was silly to let another human being determine one's happiness; she'd seen it with her mother for years. While her father was alive, her mother had been so in love and obsessed with him it had nearly shattered her when he died. She was glad her parents had a sincere, loving relationship while her father was alive, but it hardly made it worth it in her eyes when her mother could barely function in the years following his death. She'd taken to cheap chardonnay, working seventy hours a week, and a cocktail of antidepressants that had eventually just made her numb. The sad thing was Katniss wasn't even sure her mother minded being so out of it she could barely stumble through her life. If anything she made the numbness look easier than actually living, which it probably was. But her mother had missed so much of their lives while she was in her depressed stupor. What kind of a life was that? Not a good one, that was for sure. It was all because her mother had trusted another human being with herself worth and happiness.

And now Katniss found herself doing the same exact thing.

Had she learned nothing? Had her mother's suffering not been any indication that it was unwise to put that much stock into another person? Apparently not, she thought with a sigh. While she loved Peeta with her entire heart, it also scared her to death that she was putting so much into this relationship. While she doubted he would change his mind about them, it was always a possibility. If he ended things tomorrow what would happen? She was putting herself at risk to be a clingy, irrational mess if this ended badly.

She stood up from the rickety computer chair in the corner of her bedroom, shaking her head. What would she be without Peeta? She'd be shattered, that's what she would be. If Peeta called her up tomorrow and told her they were over, she'd be a mess. And what if she was at his school and they broke up? Could she handle seeing him every day?

"Katniss?"

Prim's voice cut through her thoughts. Turning, she saw her little sister in the doorway of her bedroom with a curious look.

"Grades?"

Katniss shook her head. She'd told Prim that her grades that semester depended on the grant, and Prim had been dutifully keeping vigil with her by the computer since the first day Katniss had been home for break. It was highly possible her little sister wanted this as much as she did. Prim was so invested in her happiness, but, that was Prim. Open, loving, and concerned. Prim gave her a hopeful smile from where she stood.

"Not yet, Little Duck. Rory go home?"

Prim smirked, nodding. "Yeah, he went home. Walked."

"Walked? I could have driven him."

"Nah, he's fine."

"What did he give you?"

Her little sister grinned. "A wooden keepsake box he made himself. He made it in shop class he said; all the guys teased him for making something so girly," she smiled with a dreamy shrug. "I thought it was perfect. He carved primroses into the lid and put my initials on the bottom."

"He made that? Wow. He certainly doesn't take after Gale. That boy doesn't have a creative bone in his body."

Prim pursed her lips, shrugging. "He wanted to buy me something but I told him to put the money to get Posy something. I think him mom's hours got cut back at work, so…"

"That was really nice of you Prim," Katniss told her sister. She knew it wasn't easy for a teenager to tell her boyfriend to spend his money on his little sister instead of her. Prim went without so many things in life; at times it didn't feel fair that Katniss was dating someone like Peeta that rarely spared any expense when it came to gifts.

Prim shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Posy is still little and I would actually prefer something he made himself anyway. Do you know what Peeta got you yet?"

"No," Katniss shook her head. "We'll probably exchange gifts at the party tomorrow."

Her sister's eyes lit up. "Do you think there will be lots of people there?"

"Peeta's family, sure. He said usually thirty people or so come to their house every year."

Prim ambled further into the bedroom, sliding down onto Katniss' bed with a grunt. "Do you think his family will like you?"

Katniss hadn't told Prim about her more than slightly awkward encounter with Mr. Mellark a few weeks ago and had no intention of ever bringing it up again. "I really hope so. I really…like Peeta, so I want his family to like me. Especially his mom."

Prim gave her a mocking look. "Fine. But it's Christmas; stop moping up here while you wait for your grades and come watch A Christmas Story with me. I made hot chocolate…" she teased, standing and inching towards the door. She gave Katniss a goofy smile. "You know you want it."

"I'm not moping," Katniss shot back. "Did you make the instant kind or the kind from the jar with the white chocolate chips?"

"It's Christmas Eve; I made the real shit."

"Prim, don't say 'shit'," Katniss sighed, shaking her head. She minimized the window on her outdated monitor and turned to face her little sister. "Please? You may be in high school, but…you're still my Little Duck."

"Fine. But just come downstairs and keep me company, will you? And Katniss….you love Peeta; you can say it."

"Fine," she relented with a playful smirk. "I love Peeta. Now as for tomorrow…pray for me."

Katniss groaned inwardly as Peeta's car drove down the winding driveway to his house the next day. The huge, immaculately decorated house was exactly how she remembered it from last time, only now the icy driveway was lined with one shiny car after another. It just looked so big. Prim squealed from the backseat, thanking Peeta for about the fiftieth time for inviting her to his family's party as he pulled up in front of the garage.

"No problem. You sure Rory won't mind me stealing you away for a night?" Peeta teased.

"No," Prim rolled her eyes. "He's babysitting and he told me to go tonight and tell him all about the food. That's all he cares about," she groaned.

Peeta flashed Katniss a sideways grin before hopping out of the car. Katniss was a bit slower, following a suddenly speechless Prim. She watched her younger sister's eyes widen slightly as they made their way up the sidewalk that was lined with one white-lit shrub after another. The entire front of the house was lit up with all white Christmas lights, the freshly fallen snow on top of them giving the already immaculate landscaping a shimmery look as the evening sun set behind them. It was only past five in the evening, but the shorter days made the wintery day feel even colder. Katniss shivered against her coat, although she wasn't sure it was from the cold.

She was going to have to face Peeta's family for the first time. Of course she'd met Mr. Mellark already – the memory of it still made her cringe- but she had a feeling Peeta's mother would be like a species from another planet. The words he'd used in the past to describe her were words like 'shrill' and 'intense' and 'controlling'. How could any of that be good?

"Your house is like…better than anything I've ever seen," Prim breathed to Peeta as he stepped onto the porch.

"My mom and dad go overboard for Christmas," he agreed. "But wait til you see inside," he added, opening the door with an impish grin.

Katniss heard Prim's rushed intake of breath at the sight, but it was only met with her own. The pristine home was completely decked out in garlands, wreaths, and Christmas lights, making it shine even brighter than it had the last time she'd visited. Once again her thoughts compared the image to that of something she'd seen in a magazine. It still amazed her that people actually lived like this – picture perfect, not a speck of dirt or dust in sight, and with so much money. Prim snuck her an awe-struck look when Peeta wasn't looking, the two sisters sharing a smile.

Peeta led them further into the house where the Christmas party was already in full swing. Overplayed holiday music was blaring from the living room, people were mingling about between the dining room and the kitchen in various shades of red and ugly Christmas sweaters, and the scent of peppermint was mixing with the aroma of something decidedly delicious as it baked. Peeta had told her that all of his family got to gather on Christmas day to celebrate with cocktails and presents, but she'd expected much less of a fanfare. The house was full of Mellarks; squeaky clean looking blondes with fair skin and wide, blue eyes. She felt completely out of place.

Peeta steered them through the clusters of his family and friends, everyone waving happily at him as they made their way to the pride and joy of the entire house; the Mellark kitchen. Katniss tried her best to smile and look like she was there to have a good time, but all she could do was tug awkwardly at the hem of her navy sweater dress and think about how much her knit tights were making her knees itch. Prim smiled graciously at everyone they met, her natural charm and new-found confidence shining through as Peeta led them through the throngs of people in the large-than-life kitchen.

Katniss gaped openly at the spectacle that was Peeta's kitchen. Every surface was doused with evidence of Christmas; mini Christmas trees, Santa-shaped cookie jars, elaborately painted Nut Crackers, and she even spied a Yule Log in the middle of the main island. In the spaces between decorations were tiered cake stands and Christmassy platters full of every sugary delicacy she'd ever imagined, while the inner countertops were cluttered with bowls and small crockpots of various dips and delicious smelling foods. Katniss actually felt herself relax for a millisecond and smile when she spied a small table that had been brought into the looming space just to house a selection of what she assumed was Mellark Bakery breads. She watched as Peeta's father stood behind it with a bread knife, chattering away animatedly as he sawed a loaf of French bread into smaller pieces for eating. All around him people laughed and talked, listening to him as he undoubtedly told one of his 'hilariously un-funny jokes', as Peeta referred to them.

"Peeta, I'm never leaving this house," Prim chanted behind them, her jaw still slightly unhinged.

"I could use a little sister around here to take some of the heat off me, sure," he welcomed warmly, giving her a grin. Katniss shook her head and rolled her eyes at them. Peeta went out of his way to be nice to Prim sometimes, something she'd always appreciated about his character.

Peeta introduced her to people as they walked further into the crowd of people, his mouth rattling names faster than she could even hope to remember. She felt her hand grow sweaty in his and he paused to give her a concerned look.

"Is this too much?"

She gave him a tight smile. "Borderline," she admitted through her gritted teeth. Peeta gave her a sympathetic smile and a halfhearted shrug.

"I'm sorry. But can I introduce you to my brothers?"

"Then your mother?"

He nodded. She felt Prim bristle behind her, her sister's hands poking encouragingly at her back.

"It's fine, Katniss," Prim whispered over the Christmas music and voices.

Katniss nodded in agreement, moving forward with Peeta. They wound through the kitchen until they made it to the attached den, where Katniss recognized two men standing off to the side. Even if she hadn't seen their pictures before, she'd know Peeta's brothers anywhere. They had the same strong jaws and crystalline blue eyes as the rest of the Mellarks. They both held glasses of amber liquid full of ice, swirling them boredly as they watched the party unfold from the outskirts. Their gazes turned to looks of interest as Peeta led Katniss up to meet them. One snickered knowingly slapping the other on the back as he guffawed loudly.

"Son of a…"

"Rye, meet my lovely girlfriend Katniss. Katniss, this is my cocky brother Rye. Oh, and Bannock."

"Nice to meet you," she greeted calmly, giving Peeta a questioning gaze as Rye only rolled his eyes, ignored her words, and slapped a wad of bills into Peeta's already outstretched hand. He nodded at Prim in welcome before stepping closer, his stocky frame suddenly a little too close for her comfort. She stood her ground, tipping her head up as he surveyed her.

Rye wrinkled his nose as he looked at her, then over at Peeta. "This is Katniss?"

"Yes," Peeta snapped, rolling his eyes. "I told you."

"Is he paying you?" he finally asked, tilting his head to the side. She realized that he, like Peeta, had a strong jawline and wavy blonde hair, although his was slightly darker than his brother's. And, she noted to herself with satisfaction, his jaw was nowhere near the sex-god caliber of Peeta's.

"No. Should he be?"

Peeta's brothers both roared with laughter, slugging their little brother on the shoulder.

"Vixen!" they laughed. "Worth every penny Peet, worth every penny," Rye chuckled, shaking his head. Katniss exchanged a confused look with Prim, her sister simply shrugging.

"What's the joke?" Katniss asked. She already felt slightly out of place and awkward; the last thing she wanted was to not be in on a private joke that was obviously at her expense.

Peeta wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving his brothers a mockingly cocky nod. "Rye here bet me a hundred dollars that I wouldn't bring home the girl I showed him in the pictures. Said I couldn't get a girl as hot as you."

Katniss tilted her head towards Peeta, her heart suddenly thumping to life in her chest as she thought of what pictures Peeta could have shown his brothers. She felt her face grow hot as she let her eyes burn into his.

"Pictures?" she asked innocently enough, the undercurrent of her voice edged with panic. She was thinking of the pictures she'd stupidly sent Peeta of herself in bed one night when they'd been texting…and she was topless. Katniss instantly cursed herself for doing something so stupid; she should have known that texting a boy – any boy, even Peeta – pictures of her nude was never a good idea.

"Yeah. The ones we took on the quad this fall? Together?" he asked innocently, his baby blue eyes blinking down at her. In that moment, she wasn't sure if Peeta was a really good liar or actually as blameless as he seemed. He gave her a beaming smile, his boyish good looks and smoothed back hair giving him a Ken-doll appearance as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh," she sniffed, nodding quickly. "Well…here I am."

Rye tossed Peeta an approving look that she didn't miss. Was she seeing things? Did a majority of Peeta's family suddenly approve of her? She momentarily forgot about her itchy tights and over-worn sweater dress. She was determined to make this family accept her. Peeta was the most important thing in her life next to Prim and her mother; she couldn't stand the thought of his family alienating her. It was silly but in the back of her mind a niggling thought refused to cease. If his family disapproved of her, how much longer would a relationship like theirs last?

"And this is her little sister Primrose."

"Prim," she corrected, flashing Peeta a sassy look. She shook their hands politely as Rye and Bannock looked between them.

"You two are sisters?" Bannock asked skeptically. "Is your dad the milkman?" he joked.

Prim snorted, shaking her head as Katniss gave her a quick apologetic look for what she was about to do. Stepping forward, she slyly eased Bannock's drink from his hand and gave him a playfully challenging look.

"Sometimes certain siblings don't all look alike. You occasionally get one really good looking one and one that's just kinda….you know," she winced. "Some just…get the better end of the stick I guess," she sighed, daintily sipping back half of his cocktail. She crunched on an ice cube and pretended to size him up. Turning to look at Peeta, she raised an eyebrow. "Guess we know which end of the stick you got, huh?"

There was a slight pause before Peeta and his brothers burst out laughing. Katniss downed the rest of the drink, politely handing Bannock back his empty glass before giving Prim a little shrug. Her sister's cheeks were pink with laughter as their guffaws suddenly slowed.

"Wait, was she dissing him or us?"

"I think….wait-"

Peeta grabbed her hand and rolled his eyes as his slightly drunk brothers. "Let's go meet everyone else."

Katniss watched as he held up the wad of cash in his palm and gave his brothers a smirk. "Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen."


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: December 25th

Katniss

Jokingly putting Peeta's brothers in their place had helped lighten her mood a bit. Instead of yanking at her itchy tights, she relaxed and accepted the bubbly cocktail from Peeta's smiley aunt, trying her best to remember all the names Peeta was rattling off. Prim, ever the social butterfly had quickly made friends with several of Peeta's younger cousins and was engrossed in a board game tournament taking place in the Mellark's den, so that left Katniss on her own. Sipping her drink to calm her nerves, she scanned the room for Peeta's mother. She'd seen pictures of Mrs. Mellark before but had yet to meet the woman Peeta had told her so much about. What would she really be like, Katniss wondered? Had Peeta exaggerated what she was like, or had he described her spot on?

She was beginning to relax when Peeta handed her a cookie and said the words she'd been secretly dreading for months.

"Come on, let's go meet my mom. I'll get a lecture if I don't introduce you soon enough" he laughed, although she thought she could sense some underlying tension in the way his jaw tightened slightly. Leading her away from the party, she felt the cookie start to crumble in her sweaty hand as Peeta searched for his mother.

"There she is. Um, mom?"

Mrs. Mellark was in the ornate living room off to the side of the house, arranging the branches on what was easily the tallest Christmas tree Katniss had ever seen. The only light in the room was coming from the huge, impeccably decorated Christmas tree, but all Katniss could focus on was Peeta's mother. She turned around, the soft frown lines across her forehead easing as she looked up to see them standing in the entrance to the grand room. Katniss had to mentally steady herself for a moment before she realized the woman she'd secretly been dreading to meet since June was suddenly standing right in front of her.

"Yes?"

His mother's eyebrows rose slightly. Katniss didn't miss the way her eyes quickly scanned her from top to bottom, but her face remained expectant and stoic. Mrs. Mellark was small and almost wiry, yet her slender body had a commanding presence about it as she waited for Peeta to begin introductions.

Peeta pulled slightly on the crook of her elbow, urging her forward. "This is Katniss. Um…I wanted you to meet her. We just got here a few minutes ago."

Katniss gazed forward at Mrs. Mellark, trying her best to smile nicely and not scowl like she always did without meaning to.

"Hi Katniss. I'm Peeta's mom," she greeted, her voice stiff but pleasant.

"H-hi," she stuttered out, clutching the cookie and the drink. Awkwardly shifting them both to one hand, she nearly dropped them both on the pristine white carpet as she tried to shake hands. Peeta quickly grabbed them both, offering her a tight smile.

"I've got that," he chuckled softly, giving her an encouraging look. When she was certain the food and drink weren't going to go toppling onto the white carpet at her feet, she awkwardly stretched her hand out to shake in greeting. Mrs. Mellark's grip was firm and unyielding as she gasped it.

"Prim is….with Rye and Bannock, but I could-" Peeta began, only to be cut off.

"Why don't you run into the kitchen and get me a glass of wine? I'd like to get to know Katniss," his mother swiftly interjected. Peeta paused, giving Katniss a questioning look. Her stomach doing swift summersault, she nodded stiffly in assurance.

Boy, she wasted next to no time kicking Peeta out so that she could drill me on her own terms. Here we go…deep breaths….

"I'm fine."

Peeta paused a second longer, giving them both an unsure look.

"Just go. Get mom a drink. Into the kitchen…" Mrs. Mellark urged. Katniss watched Peeta swallow, an apprehensive nod fllowing.

"Okay. I'll go get you some wine. Or a bottle…"

"Peeta!" his mother snapped.

Peeta held up his hands in a sign of truce, a little smile playing on his lips. "Going!"

Once Peeta was gone, she turned back to Katniss.

"So."

Katniss nodded. "So."

Mrs. Mellark gave her another quick scan with her eyes. Katniss found herself wondering how Peeta and his mother could share the same blue irises yet they could look so strikingly different. While Peeta's were warm and inviting, his mother somehow made the blue color icy and…intimidating. She gulped nervously and wished she still had that drink.

"Your house is…beautiful. I've never…I mean it looks like something out of a magazine," Katniss offered. Maybe a compliment would soften her up.

"Thank you. I put a lot of work into decorating it for the holidays."

"Yes, well….it shows," she added awkwardly. "Um…and thank you for having us…I mean, me and my sister. It was nice to be able to come."

Mrs. Mellark glanced back at the Christmas tree, clearing her throat. "You didn't want to spend Christmas with your family? All of you together?"

Katniss chewed her lip nervously, scratching at her tights. There was an underlying tension in his mother's clipped tone that she didn't quite understand. Had she already said something wrong?

"Um, well my mom is a nurse and she wanted the overtime, so…we would have just been sitting at home alone while she worked. I guess Peeta thought we might have a….um, better time here."

"Oh, well….I thought it was a little strange at first that Peeta wanted to invite you. I thought most people would be with their families today. So your mom is working. And your father?"

Katniss frowned. Certainly Peeta would have mentioned her father's passing, hadn't he? Her father being deceased was something he'd brought up at one time or another when talking about her…wouldn't he? It seemed like a strange question for her to ask.

"Oh, he…passed away. A few years ago. It's just the three of us now. Me and my mom and Prim."

Mrs. Mellark paused, pursing her lips slightly as she turned her attention back to the tree. Katniss watched as she continued meticulously arranging each fake branch, bending and plucking the plastic until it looked perfect.

"I'm…sorry to hear that."

Katniss frowned harder. Something in her tone didn't make her sound sorry that she'd brought it up at all.

"Peeta never mentioned it?" Katniss blurted out. She wanted this woman to like her, but she would only take that desire so far. She didn't get to play dumb about things and bring up crap just to see it get a rise out of her. What was this woman getting at?

"Yeah. He was a coalminer. He died suddenly in a mine explosion seven years ago. My best friend's dad was killed in it too. Did you want to talk about that?" she heard herself say. Shamed, she bit her lip. She hadn't meant to snap like that, but Peeta's mother didn't get to play with her just because she was dating his son.

Turning away, she noticed his mother recoil slightly. They were both silent for a moment, the sounds of the party suddenly a million miles away.

Katniss bristled. "I'm sorry, I…"

Mrs. Mellark pursed her lips, turning away from the tree. "No, it's okay. I should be sorry. I…guess I knew that. I shouldn't have brought it up and…"

Katniss turned back around, chewing her lower lip. She'd never been good at faking manners and being cordial to strangers, and as much as she loved Peeta she wasn't about to start being phony now.

"Look, do you not want me here?"

Peeta's mother stared at her in surprise, the Christmas lights of the tree behind her blurring together as Katniss watched her. She looked surprised but also…apologetic.

"If you don't want me here I can just leave. I didn't come to upset you, I came because Peeta invited us so that we'd having something to do on Christmas day besides sit at home. If my being here offends you, or..or…"

"No," his mother interrupted. "Katniss, wait. I'm…I told myself I wouldn't do this," Mrs. Mellark exhaled sharply, scrubbing her face. "I told myself I wouldn't be like this, so manipulative and intense and…" she paused, inching closer to Katniss. "This isn't me. Okay? I hope you know that."

Katniss felt her familiar frown return. "What isn't?"

"This…controlling freak that I can be sometimes when something new happens. Change. I'm immune to it sometimes, I think. I'm not sure what to say other than I'm sorry I came across like that. Bringing up your dad, that was…."

Well, this can't get any worse, Katniss thought. "Shitty?"

Mrs. Mellark looked up in surprise, her blue eyes bright.

"What?"

"It was shitty," she repeated softly, shrugging. "But it's okay. I forgive you."

His mother nodded shakily. "I tend to do things…like that when I'm not sure of how to….react. This is the first time Peeta's brought home anybody….this…serious," she finally muttered, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry?" Katniss half stated, half asked. "I didn't mean to upset you. I only came because Peeta made a big deal about it. He wanted me to come so I did."

"No, I know you didn't come here to upset me. And you didn't. It me that's in need of an attitude adjustment, not you. You don't have to be sorry for anything Katniss."

"I don't understand."

"I know you wouldn't. Peeta is….Peeta is my youngest and when he asked to bring you to meet the family today I….I knew it would be a big step for him. It's always a big deal with the girlfriend meets the family and with Peeta it's no different. I….he's just…he's my baby."

Katniss felt her eyebrow twitch in amusement. She's been terrified to meet Peeta's mother when…. all this time, it had been the same on her side as well. Mrs. Mellark was a bit terrified of her. Or at least what Katniss signified. She got it, finally. Peeta was his mother's baby boy and the fact that he was bringing home a girl for everyone to meet had truly shaken his mother to the core. Her youngest son had grown up and Katniss being at a family function probably drove home that he was no longer a child.

"I mean, I know he's not a little kid anymore. I know. It's not that."

"Then what is it?" Katniss asked. "He's a junior in college. He's got to grow up sometime. But he still really cares about what you think of him," she offered meekly."

His mother gave her a questioning look. "He does?"

Katniss nodded. "I know he's an adult, but…you still matter a lot to him."

"It's just that I wish he was more like me. Unaffected."

Katniss bit back a sarcastic comment and could only stand and gawk as Peeta's mother had a mini-meltdown in front of her ornate Christmas tree with her entire family in the next room.

"Like you?

"I just know how he is, you know? He's so open and trusting and…I wish he was like me. His father gets him, he's a softie at heart too. But I wish Peeta was a little more guarded and watchful. He just trusts people too easily and it gets him hurt. Every time some new girl breaks his heart because he's too nice or too this or to that it gets a little harder for me to say nothing. His father was worried about the same thing, but I guess he just…deals with it differently."

"I guess so, yeah," Katniss responded sarcastically. Mrs. Mellark shot her a dark look before walking over to sit on the ledge in front of the fireplace. Her hard blue eyes were suddenly pleading as she began wringing her hands together in front of her.

"The fact that my little Peeta is old enough to bring a girl home for a holiday makes me worry that he's in really deep this time. No offense."

"None taken," Katniss snorted. "If it helps, I….I'd never hurt him."

She was slightly annoyed she had to jump through so many hoops to convince Peeta's family she wouldn't yank his heart out of his chest and stomp on it, but what could she do? She'd promised his father she wouldn't hurt him the night after he'd caught them in bed together, but she couldn't easily bring that up now without his mother finding out about their naughty tryst.

"I didn't mean to come across as mean. Or rude. It's just…I do that sometimes. I say something to try to stupidly get the upper hand with people and I come across as a bit of a….well, a bit of a witch sometimes. I didn't mean to offend you and bring up your father. That was wrong of me," she admitted.

"Well you're right about Peeta. And maybe your husband, I don't know him well enough. Peeta is too nice sometimes and I've seen him get pushed around a bit because of it."

Katniss took a deep breath and crossed the space to sit awkwardly next to Peeta's mother in front of the fire.

"But you don't have to worry about Peeta, Mrs. Mellark. He's a really smart guy and…and he's getting better at not letting people push him around."

"He is?"

Katniss nodded. "I think so. I'd like to think I'm helping him with that," she laughed softly. "He really wears his heart on his sleeve and I think he's kept that but he's just…maybe learned to be more guarded. But I wouldn't want him to change. The fact that he's so open and kind and trusting is what drew me to him in the first place. I'd never met anyone like him."

Mrs. Mellark turned to look at her. "You know, maybe it's the bottle of wine I had earlier tonight but…that sounds familiar. My whole family was always untrusting and judgmental. When I met Peeta's father I thought he was being phony. I'd never met anyone like him. He was just so honest and open all the time. It took some getting used to."

"Sounds like me," Katniss admitted. "It took me awhile to believe he was being sincere, that's all."

His mother nodded.

"He's just like his father. He's too nice sometimes. And…" his mother looked over at her, shrugging softly. "He gets his heart stomped on and people take advantage of him. I've spent half of my life looking out for my husband and it's been no different than Peeta. I have to be extra tough because I know they don't have it in them. I overcompensate. I guess that's the mother bear instinct in me. But you'll get that someday."

"Right, well…"

His mother turned to the side, eyeing her sternly. "Someday not soon, I hope."

Katniss laughed sourly, shaking her head. "So first you take a jab about my father, now you're telling me not to get knocked up anytime soon?!"

Mrs. Mellark shrunk away, shaking her head. "Erm…yeah, I guess I am."

Katniss felt her stomach do a little flop as she thought about their almost 'accident' earlier in the school year and the precautions they'd taken since with birth control.

"Um, no. I'm not planning on getting knocked up and trapping your son anytime soon, if that's what you're asking."

"In so many words, yes."

Another bitter chuckle escaped Katniss' lips. "Fair enough. No, though…Peeta is hell bent on making you proud of him. He's terrified of letting you down, in fact. That's one of the first things I learned about him."

"Really?" his mother asked. She toyed the edge of her sleeve, looking sideways at Katniss. "He's afraid of me?"

Katniss shuddered. "I've only known you for five minutes and I'm afraid of you."

Mrs. Mellark hung her head slightly, shaking it. "I'm sorry about that. I'm not a mean person really, I'm just…uptight. And guarded. Like I said, I overcompensate for my son and my kids. They didn't get that part of me I guess," she sighed. "You seem like a nice girl though. Peeta says you make him happy."

Katniss shrugged. "I try. He makes me want to be more like him. Open and trusting. But I'm not there yet. But he's good. Better than me. I'm not entirely sure I deserve him."

His mother cleared her throat, straightening up. Stretching her hand over to Katniss', she grasped it firmly and gave her a tight nod. "Katniss, I don't know you, but…the fact that you would say something like that tells me that you probably do. Deserve him, that is."

Katniss swallowed the lump in her throat. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yes. Now, if you'll forgive my….lapse in judgment earlier, I'd like to start over. If Peeta says you're worth getting to know, then I should believe him. I trust my son. And his judgment. Most of the time," she added stiffly.

Katniss gave her a shaky smile as Peeta came walking back into the living room. He held out two wine glasses to each of them, giving them both a questioning grin that silently asked is anyone dead yet?

"Thanks," she said, accepting the wine. Taking a rather long gulp, she nodded at Peeta as if to say we're fine.

"Peeta, you have a very nice girlfriend. I think I might like her."

Katniss smirked. "Don't get all sappy on me now."

Peeta gave them both a mystified look as he visibly questioned what had gone on in the few minutes he'd been gone.

"We've just been talking. But don't mind me – don't you have some presents to give Katniss?"

Peeta frowned, nodding. "Yeah, I do. Um…come on Katniss, your presents are over here," he said slowly, taking her elbow.

Mrs. Mellark gave her a smile. "See you kids later. And Katniss…it was very nice to meet you. Merry Christmas."

Katniss nodded, returning the smile. "It was nice to meet you too."


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: December 25th Part III

Peeta

He gripped Katniss' hand as he pulled her away from the living room, desperately trying to gauge how the conversation between Katniss and his mother had fared. He knew he'd been certifiable to leave his mother in the room, alone with Katniss, but what else could he do? While his girlfriend was a fearless goddess in her own right, he viewed his mother like a fierce lioness, looming over her cub. He gulped, realizing he was the cub in that equation. And he had no doubt his mother would do whatever she had to do to communicate her protective right over him. But what could he have possibly done? Refused to leave her side and been left to deal with his mother's wrath? He shuddered. No thank you.

"I…I think I want a drink now," she muttered, her eyes flicking up to his. He saw turmoil floating in her silvery orbs, the expression she gave him almost unreadable. Was she angry? Crazed? Ready to flounce out of the party and never give him another thought? His brothers would just love that. His mother sending a girl screaming from the house!

Shit, Peeta thought.

"We can do that. Um, here," he said, gently tugging her towards the kitchen. While a stealthy war of nerves had been going on in the kitchen, the rest of the party went on. Glasses clinked and Chistmassy music played throughout the house, and the voices and laugher of his relatives echoed through the large kitchen. He ushered her past a few curious looking family members, waving them off with a friendly smile that silently begged them not to ask more. He hoped Katniss didn't just tell him to forget this whole thing after talking alone with his sometimes less than charming mother. He had nightmares about her throwing up her hands and telling him to go to hell because it wasn't worth the effort of dealing with her. While he loved his mother dearly, she was difficult to read and even more difficult to win over. Sometimes he realized she could be less than a peach.

Peeta ushered her over to a metal pail on the side bar that was full of iced down beer.

"Thanks," she sighed, accepting a beer after he twisted off the cap. Peeta spun it nervously against the granite countertop as the laughter and conversations around him faded away. His only focus was now Katniss.

And whether or not she would tell him to fuck off and forget it.

"Well?" he gently prodded.

Katniss held up a hand as she took a long drag from the still-dripping bottle. His eyes bulged slightly as she downed chug after chug of the amber liquid, efficiently draining more than half before setting it back down onto the counter. Heaving a sigh, she pressed her lips together and nodded at him.

"It went…"

Peeta held his breath.

"….well."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You're shitting me."

"No," she shook her head, taking another long sip. She quirked an eyebrow at him. He didn't usually swear.

"She was….different at first," she said, lowering her voice. "She brought up my dad."

Peeta rolled his eyes and felt his heart start to pound. The tips of his ears grew instantly hot. "She did what?"

Katniss shrugged. "She brought him up. I think to see what my reaction would be. And it was…neutral. I mean, I just didn't let her get away with it."

"Katniss, I'm sorry-"

"She wanted to get a rise out of me. I expected that. Honestly, I did. I wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but I knew she would try at least once to make me…uncomfortable."

Peeta felt his stomach practically fall to his feet. "Wait, she brought up your father who…"

"Yes," Katniss confirmed. "She did. She knew he was dead, Peeta. I don't know why, but she just…I think she wanted to get control of the conversation. Throw me off and upset me."

"Sounds about right," Peeta fumed quietly. Reaching over to the container full of iced down beer beside him, he grabbed one and twisted the top off as Katniss continued.

"She just….wanted to show me she was in charge I guess. And that she wasn't going to take any crap from me when it came to you. Typical mother stuff, just…intense. Which I knew she would be, I mean…" she trailed off, shrugging. He watched her lips wrap around the top of the bottle as she took another long sip. Damn it, he thought, why couldn't his family just be normal?

"Peeta, I expected her to be a little….different. You warned me about that. I was prepared…somewhat."

Peeta groaned. "So….I guess you want me to take you home now, right?"

His girlfriend scoffed, eagerly accepting another beer from him. Peeta popped the cap and handed it to her, still slightly amazed that she could down them as easily as any football player. Her lips curled around the frosty bottle, her shoulders shrugging.

"Uhm…no. We talked a little and she apologized."

"She what?"

"She apologized," Katniss repeated. "To me. I mean she knew she'd brought him up to kinda…level the playing field. Let me know I wasn't going to have it easy with her. Noted," she said rolling her eyes slightly. "But I think she's just nervous about losing you and really….overprotective, I guess."

"You don't say," Peeta muttered, rolling his eyes. "Well…of what happened after that?"

"Nothing really, I mean you were only gone twenty minutes."

"My mom can do a lot of damage in twenty minutes Katniss; I mean….I think we both know that. What else did she say?"

"We just talked about you. I told her how I felt about you, and why I liked you, and…and that I understood you were important to her. She still sees you as her baby, Peeta. I mean yeah, she was intense and kinda crazy but I get it. She's just an overprotective parent who I think…wants you to be the best you can be. And have priorities. And some of those priorities might not always include me as far as she's concerned."

"Well they do, so tough shit," Peeta snapped, his ears turning hot again. Of course his mother would bring up the idea that she thought he was too young to be in such a serious relationship. Just because she'd managed to go and get herself pregnant before her life plan as she called it dictated, she thought he would screw up his life by doing the same. He gazed at Katniss as she nervously began peeling the label off her beer bottle. Didn't his mother get it? As far as he was concerned, Katniss was it for him and he had absolutely no qualms about telling her that.

"It's fine, okay? She wasn't that bad. I think I at least understand her now Peeta."

He gave her a questioning look. "You sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure. Now can we do our presents?" she asked hopefully.

Peeta glanced around the noisy kitchen, suddenly very interested in getting her away from all the curious looks from his relatives and loud voices of the party around them. He'd been waiting for days to give her Christmas presents to her, and now it was finally time.

"Sure," he nodded, leaning in to sweetly peck her nose. "Come with me."

Peeta led them back into the secluded living room again, pausing in front of the tree. Now that Peeta's mother was long gone and their talk was behind them, it seemed like Katniss could full take in the splendor that was his family's Christmas tree. She leaned back on her heels as he watched her admire it. While he'd originally hated the idea of getting something big and fake and pre-lit, even he had to admit it was a thing of beauty of behold. It stood in the corner of the room, in front of the fireplace. It could be seen through the tall windows facing the front of the house, the white lights glowing brilliantly in the otherwise darkened room.

"Let me go grab my bag," she said, giving him a bright smile. He darted around the back of the tree, arranging her small pile of gifts for when she returned. A few minutes later, she hurried back into the room and produced two packages; one slightly large, one small.

"Here are yours," he said, motioning to the stack.

"These for me? Aw, Peeta," she laughed awkwardly, shaking her head at him. She'd finally grown somewhat used to him showering her with gifts, but he figured as long as he paid for them with money he'd earned himself she couldn't really complain. After all, he only wanted to spoil her with things she would never get for herself. With all the studying she'd been doing lately to try to get her scholarship, he figured she more than deserved a little spoiling.

Katniss opened a few of the boxes from Victoria's Secret, eyeing him speculatively when she saw the familiar pink on pink striped design. However, her face melted into adoration when she touched the soft fabrics of the lounge pants and shirts, a smile cracking through her façade of mock horror.

"These are really nice. Soft," she mused. "But Peeta, you didn't have to do that. Geez, did you actually go into the store?"

He nodded meekly, trying to forget the memory of his father holding the nightie that was for his mother.

"Eh, yeah, I did. My dad and I…never mind. It's the last time I shop in that store…ever. Anything else you get it coming from online," he chuckled.

She gave him another uncertain look before pushing a present at him. He ripped it open to discover new slippers for the dorms and a pair of Captain America boxer briefs. He gave her a questioning look, his mouth twisted up.

"These look a little…small?"

Katniss smirked. "I know. But…I saw them and I know he's your favorite, so I couldn't resist."

"You want me to parade around in a pair of too small underwear?"

She raised one eyebrow. "Perhaps."

Peeta chuckled, shaking his head to himself as he pushed an envelope with a gift card to a bookstore towards her.

"Books!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down slightly where she sat. "I always love books."

"Hence the present," he joked, noting her enthusiastically happy smile. He only hoped she kept that up when he gave her the next present…

"Last one," he promised, pushing it towards her. It was a small box, but he knew Katniss wouldn't be fooled. It was the size of box that clearly screamed jewelry whether he wanted it to or not.

"Peeta…"

"Now before you start, just listen. I saw this, it was perfect, I bought it for you and you're keeping it. End of story."

Katniss gave him another look before slowly wrapping the paper away from the box, turning it over in her hands. Peeta gave her his best firm look that silently told her not to argue. Well, silently pleaded with her not to argue, that is.

"It's sentimental. Special. I put a lot of effort into this, alright Everdeen?" he laughed. "Just open it, will you?"

She opened the box, her eyes fixating on what was resting on the black velvet. Peeta had snuck so many peeks at the delicate necklace that the image of it was burned into his mind at this point. Her face was blank as she stared down at it in her hands.

"Well…do you like it?"

There was a long pause as she stared down at it. The world seemed to stop for a moment as he waited for her to speak. Finally, she nodded.

"Peeta…I love it."

He blew out a breath of relief, happy that she wasn't fighting him on it. It was a tad extravagant, but it was worth every penny in his eyes.

"You do?"

She nodded, her eyes slowly moving up to meet his. "Will you put it on me?"

Peeta felt his heart hammer happily in his chest as she handed him the box. Pulling her braid to the side, she turned around and allowed him to place the pendant around her neck and fasten the clasp. When she turned back around, the shining diamonds on the cupcake sparkled in the lights of the Christmas tree. Her olive skin made it stand out as she reached down to touch it.

"It's so pretty," she breathed, turning the little charm over in her fingers. "What made you get this?"

He gave her a shy smile. "Remember that time at camp when we had the date on the lawn?"

She nodded. "You brought me hot chocolate in the thermos and…and the cupcake. With a Katniss flower. Oh Peeta…"

Peeta watched her smile and swallow, the motion looking choppy. Was she about to cry, he thought? He hadn't expected his gift to get quite the reaction it was, but he certainly wasn't complaining. He was touched that she remembered the night at Camp Panem when they'd had their first official date of sorts. He had poured his heart out to her and instead of running away like everyone else, she'd stayed. That had meant the world to him then and it still did.

"That night was….perfect," she sighed. "I want to go back this summer."

"Me too," he agreed. "It was the best summer of my life."

He smiled at the memory. As they'd been sitting under the stars on the soccer field, he'd pulled thermos of hot chocolate and a special cupcake he'd made her. He'd spent nearly an hour on just one cupcake, but it had ended up being the cupcake that had won him the girl he loved and adored. Baking to the rescue for once, he thought sheepishly.

"That was what made me fall in love with you, you know," she told him with a shy smile.

Peeta felt his heart swell in his chest as he spied the sparkling pendant around his girlfriend's neck. "I think I knew that. Baked goods…man, they always win the chicks over."

She snorted and lightly shoved his shoulder, pulling her braid back over to toy with it.

"I know I have to say 'you shouldn't have' because this was probably way too expensive and nice for me, but….while you shouldn't have, I'm…I'm really glad you did for once. I'll never take it off, Peeta. I love it."

He gave her a soft smile as he watched her fingers still touching the delicate cupcake. It was clear he'd made the right voice in buying the necklace, and he already couldn't imagine her without it. The dangling charm against her dark skin was the perfect reminder of the night that he'd fallen completely head over heels for her.

"I'm glad. You deserve it."

She nodded at him with watery eyes, and he heard himself inhale sharply. "Don't cry," he urged. "People will think I got you something really lame."

Katniss laughed, swiping at her eye. "I'm not crying, I'm just…misty with emotion," she insisted. "Come here Mellark, let me thank you."

Peeta allowed her to pull him against her in a deep kiss, her tongue instantly meeting with his in an act of gratitude. He groaned inwardly as the flavor of sugar cookies and beer melted against his tongue in a weirdly sensual way. He pressed his mouth to hers, cupping her chin to hold her against him. Katniss kissed him back with urgency, and he felt the need to take their Christmas make out to a much quieter setting. Sliding his hand down her neck, his fingers brushed the cool metal chain and the rough texture of the diamond cupcake against her collar bone. He broke away from her mouth, panting.

"This reminds me…what are you doing for New Year's?"

She gave him a quizzical frown. "Nothing…why?"

He grinned. "Cuz have I got plans for you. Merry Christmas, Katniss."

He felt her smile against his lips as he kissed her again. Baking to the rescue indeed.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 45: December 29th

Peeta

Christmas already felt like a million years ago, he thought. He gulped down the rest of his glass of milk, halfheartedly eying the tray of leftover sugar cookies on the kitchen counter. He thought about grabbing several to take back up to his room, but thought better of it. The pudgy, pre-pubescent pictures of him that lined his parents' hallways seemed to stare at him as he shuffled back upstairs. The last thing he wanted to do before a weekend away with Katniss was eat so much he looked like the Pillsbury doughboy when he was naked. And he planned to spend much of the upcoming weekend just that way: naked.

After much begging and pleading, his mother's younger brother Todd had agreed to let Peeta use his fancy little 'getaway' cabin upstate. It had also helped that Todd got to meet Katniss at the Christmas party several days ago and appeared thoroughly impressed that his nephew had somehow managed to snag himself such an attractive girl. His thirty something uncle had waggled his eyebrows at Peeta and pressed the key into his palm when his mother wasn't looking. He'd always had a good relationship with his mother's youngest brother, but Peeta had practically been ready to kiss him after getting his blessing to use the cabin for his New Year's getaway. They needed this; time alone together without the fear of someone barging in or trying to cram into the backseat of a car. Even if it had been one of the hottest sexual experiences they'd shared yet, he was looking forward to the slightly swankier setting of the cabin.

Peeta shuffled past his parents' bedroom, narrowly missing his mother.

"Oh! Sorry sweetie. Listen, I'm off to the store for a few things and I was going to pick up some food for you and your friends for this weekend."

"Food?" he asked blankly.

"For you to take up to the cabin. You're hosting five other people, don't you expect they'd want to eat?" she snapped. The worry lines around her eyes seemed more pronounced, he realized. The holidays always took their toll on his mother.

"Yeah, yeah…I mean yes," he correct himself as she gave him a stern look. "That would be great mom. Maybe stuff for some sandwiches?"

Katniss wouldn't need anything fancy, and he certainly didn't want to alert his mother that he'd conveniently forgotten to invite four of the other five people that would be going up to the cabin with him that weekend. He'd figured a group outing upstate would be less fishy of a story for his mother when she asked – there was no way she'd be alright with him just taking Katniss up to the cabin. He figured requesting a bunch of strawberries and whipped cream would look a little suspicious.

"Peeta, at least feed everyone decently. I'll pick up things for breakfast and maybe some steaks you guys can grill for dinner. Do you think you'll fish?"

"Lake is probably frozen. Steaks sound great, yeah. I can grill."

"Alright. Your father is at the shop finishing up inventory, but he should be back in a few hours. I've got some errands to run, so I won't be back til almost dinner. Behave," she warned, picking up her purse. Peeta let her kiss his cheek.

"You need to shave," she added sternly before hurrying out the door. Peeta rolled his eyes as he listened to her car door slam in the garage. If it wasn't one thing with his mother, it was another. He'd halfway expected Katniss to run away screaming after meeting her at Christmas, but she hadn't yet. She hadn't said much about their meeting, to be honest. Settling onto his bed, he checked his phone for any messages. Katniss had texted him a few minute before.

Katniss: No grades yet : (

He leaned back on his bed and sighed.

Peeta: Don't worry. U will get them soon.

Katniss: I hope so. Going crazy here.

Peeta: You excited for New Year's?

Katniss: What do you have planned? Why won't u tell me where we are going?

Peeta: It's a surprise, everdeen. Which you suck at.

Katniss: I do not.

Peeta: Do to. Ask too many questions. Just relax and trust me

Katniss: easier said than done. What should I pack?

Peeta: Two nights with me, so…nothing; )

Katniss: lol. nice try.

He tossed his phone back onto the bed, restlessly rolling off. He'd had a mostly lazy day that day as he tried to enjoy winter break to the fullest extent. He'd gone into the shop early to help out his father for a while before coming home for a midafternoon nap. When his mom got home, he'd attempted to keep the peace by offering to use the rare almost warm day to wash her car. His helpfulness had paid off; she'd gone off to the store without assigning him any chores to keep him 'busy'.

Katniss kept his phone buzzing with a few more anxious sounding texts about waiting for her grades. Peeta tried to assure her that she would get them soon enough, but she was waiting on eggshells to find out if she qualified for the grant. Honestly so was he, but he realized that doing nothing but worrying about it wasn't going to be healthy for either of them.

The weekend away would be good for them. It would get her mind off her grades that she was anxiously awaiting, and it would give them some alone time together before another semester started and they were both wrapped up in homework and activities. He'd hoped by now they'd know whether or not she'd be transferring to his school for the upcoming semester, but so far not a peep.

"What to do…" he muttered, looking round his room. He wanted to go see Katniss, but she had promised Prim they'd go see some girly movie that he knew would have Katniss rolling her eyes the entire time. Snickering to himself, he mused at how much of a sap his girlfriend was when it came to her younger sister. She'd do anything and sit through anything just to keep Prim happy. She was really amazing, he thought. He wondered if she would enjoy the surprise weekend getaway. Even though she was a bad present receiver, he did enjoy spoiling and surprising her. Just like the necklace; she'd had no idea he was going to give her something like that, and it had been perfect. He could tell by the misty, far off look in her eyes when he'd fastened the clasp around her neck that she'd loved it. The necklace was perfect on her, too.

Peeta sighed, his memory conjuring up the image of the sparkling cupcake resting on her collar bone. Maybe he'd get to see her that weekend in nothing but the necklace. He raised one eyebrow at he thought, picturing the way she'd look lying in front of the cabin's fireplace, nothing cloaking her body but the sparkling pendant and the firelight.

"Shit," he muttered, adjusting his tightening sweatpants. Since gaining a girlfriend, Peeta's sexual libido had only increased. A long distance relationship ensured that he was almost constantly horny, and the dorms didn't provide very many places to jerk off. Being home wasn't any better – his mother was constantly watching him or assigning him things to do. Finding time alone like the time he currently had was rare and difficult.

Only one thing to do, he thought. Crossing the room, he closed his bedroom door and locked it, checking twice to make sure it was bolted. He knew he was home alone, but he wasn't leaving his afternoon of self-loving to chance.

He settled down at his computer, quickly bringing up a webpage of less-than savory nature. Every woman on the site suddenly had Katniss' face; he licked his lips as he pictured doing any one of the dozens of actions showcased in the 'preview' boxes that covered the screen. He clicked on the first one that looked promising and settled back in his desk chair. He knew it was slightly sick and desperate of him to masturbate in his old childhood bedroom, but what else was he supposed to do? Pulling down his pants enough to expose himself, he waited for the video to load before clicking 'play' and starting to work. He missed his girlfriend and he had the house to himself for once. Besides, he reasoned; he didn't want to go off like a five second rocket the minute they walked through the cabin door, did he?

Satisfied that his actions were just, he continued his task. The video he'd clicked on wasn't anything too raunchy or hardcore; he didn't usually go for anything strange or exotic when he was just jerking off to satisfy an itch or pass the time. He lazily stroked himself, watching as the guy in the video settled back onto a long sofa and watched eagerly as his brunette haired companion sauntered over to him. Peeta didn't have trouble replacing the blonde guy with himself and the brunette girl as Katniss. He chewed his lip in anticipation as she straddled his lap and lowered herself onto his waiting cock. She began moving her hips and he began thrusting up to meet her movements as Peeta watched with rapt fascination. He began to time his movements with the brunette's bouncing, and he was quickly growing close to climax. It was all too easy to imagine the way Katniss would feel on his lap, bouncing and squeezing away…

Suddenly, the quiet moans on the screen grew louder. The girl cried out in enjoyment as her partner grabbed her ass and wasted no time inserting a finger in her back entrance. She arched her back and cried out louder and louder as he touched her. Peeta's jaw dropped open slightly as he inserted a second finger with one hand and guided her hips with the other. Both looked to be enjoying it, and it made him pause his movements.

The image of Katniss slowly disappeared in his mind as the girl on screen returned to that of an actress. His lovely daydream was gone – he'd never done that before. Touching a girl there never occurred to him.

Should it?

Peeta chewed his lip and watched as the scene continued. Both actors seemed more than happy with it. Peeta wondered if he had been missing out –was that something most people did and just didn't talk about?

Would Katniss enjoy something like that?

He grew slightly horrified to think that Katniss wanted him to do that and he hadn't been. Was she disappointed in their sex life?

He was no naïve little boy; he'd seen pornos featuring anal sex and play before. Honestly, they were all a little too hardcore and frankly scary for his taste. To him, anal sex was a kinky and taboo and something that had never dawned on him before. Of course their sex life was great; their hotter than hell tryst in the backseat of his car proved that much. But was it lacking something kinkier? They hadn't tried anything really new since the night with the Kama sutra manual. Would she think he was crazy for trying something like that?

He watched as the couple on his monitor moaned and changed positions, this time with the man kneeling behind the woman. He continued touching the brunette the same way in time with his thrusting hips, and soon they were both climaxing with enthusiastic shouts. Peeta did the same, although he had to admit his climax was a bit more lackluster than theirs. He cleaned himself up and rewound the video to the scene that had first caught his attention. Did he dare try to pull something like that off?

After clearing his computer history and flushing his soiled Kleenexes, he returned to his bed and picked up his phone.

Was that something he should ask her? He frowned to himself. That seemed…juvenile. He doubted most men checked with their girlfriends first if they should try something new in bed. No, he mused, they grew the balls and did it.

Peeta decided that was just what he would do.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: December 30th

Katniss

She chewed nervously on her bottom lip as Peeta drove, carefully navigating the snowy highway. They were heading north but that was about all she knew so far. Growing up, family vacations were limited to local camping grounds and maybe a weekend in her uncle's camper downstate, so her knowledge of where all the highways that zigzagged across the state went was minimal at best. Peeta maintained that it was a surprise, but she hated those. A quick text to Johanna confirmed her friend from camp knew nothing about the shenanigans her boyfriend had planned, and neither did Gale.

Peeta grinned at her from the driver's seat, his eyes flashing back to the road.

"Who are you texting?'

"No one," she pouted, shoving her phone back into her pocket.

"They won't tell you because they don't know," he chuckled. "The only person who knows is Prim."

Katniss straightened up in her seat. "You told my sister you were taking me somewhere overnight?!"

He shrugged. "I had to tell someone in case of an emergency. But yeah, Prim knows. She's a big girl. Besides, who do you think made sure you had packed correctly?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows. Katniss feigned annoyance, but just shook her head and laughed.

"My parents know too, but…they don't know all of it," he admitted.

Katniss eyed him suspiciously. "It couldn't be anything too fun if your mother knows."

Honestly, as long as Peeta was there and there was maybe a bottle of wine, she'd be content to spend New Year's Eve with just those two things. She already had one of the two, and the heaping trunk full of grocery bags and other items told her he'd probably thought of the second item.

"I'm going to trust you on this one," she sighed, glancing over at him.

Peeta beamed at her in the fading light before turning back to the road. She watched him for a moment as he drove; his shaggy hair was peeking out from underneath his trusty beanie, the golden strands catching what was left of daylight. He had a trace of a five o'clock shadow on his jaw and neck, which she secretly loved. The way it felt against her skin as he kissed his way up and over her body when they were together gave her chills to even think about. Wherever they were going, she hoped there would be alone time. And a bed. Scratch that, she thought, sneaking another glance at his side profile. Make that a flat surface. I'm not a high maintenance girl.

Chuckling at her own humor, she settled back against the seat and tried to enjoy the ride to wherever it was they were going while being glad Peeta had made arrangements. Her mother had picked up a double shift, Gale had taken Madge to a seedy hotel along the interstate, and Prim was going to a small party with Rory and a few of her friends. Katniss would have spent the night alone at home had Peeta not thought ahead and planned something for them to do, even if he wouldn't tell her what that something even was.

As much as she hated surprises, she loved Peeta. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Peeta reached across the center of the car and grabbed her hand in his. He brushed a quick kiss across her knuckles, his stubble rubbing across the sensitive skin on the back of her hand. Katniss shivered with anticipation.

I guess I can tolerate it for him, she thought with a tiny smirk.

When the scenery started to change from highways to access roads to finally a winding country road, she started to perk up. The sun had set and the two hour drive was making her ass start to ache from sitting too long; not to mention the anticipation was slowly starting to turn to anxiety. Where was he taking her? Why did they have to go so far away? She wasn't sure how much more suspense she could take.

Their tires were the first to turn down the snowy lane and climb the steady incline up the drive since it had started to snow earlier in the evening. Leaning forward in her seat, she squinted ahead into the darkness and frowned.

"A house? Who lives there?"

Peeta chuckled. "A cabin, actually."

He ignored the second part of her question as they drove up to the cabin that was nestled into the snowy, picturesque pines. He put the car in park and turned to look at her expectantly in the darkness. She gaped first at him, then the house. A few lights glowed from inside, but the medium sized cabin was otherwise shrouded in the darkness of the falling snow. The icy backdrop only made the cabin look more and more appealing as they sat in the car, Peeta waiting for her response.

"It's ours for the next two nights," he explained. "It's my uncle's little…getaway place. He said we could use it, so…I did some planning and got us a strings-free stay for the weekend."

"You're kidding?!" She stared at Peeta, who gave her a boyish grin and a shrug of his shoulders. She felt like she'd just won the lottery. A secluded cabin with nothing but Peeta around for two days?

"Happy New year, Katniss."

She hadn't even realized how tightly she was wound until she slammed Peeta up against the door as soon as they were inside. A soft thump could be heard as the bags he was carrying quickly fell to the floor as she commanded every ounce of his attention. Katniss couldn't help herself. This was exactly what she needed – they needed right now. The stress from school, finals, the transfer, his family, the holidays…it was all more than she could bear at the moment and a weekend away with nothing but Peeta was more than a happy thought. They were clearly in the middle of nowhere, miles away from their problems and worries and normal stresses…the sudden freedom from it all was almost intoxicating. It was, well….arousing.

Pinning him against the back of the front door, she ignored everything else but Peeta. Balling the collar of his flannel shirt in her fists, she held him firmly as she kissed him to show him her gratitude. Normally she would have been silently drooling over the rustic décor, the sprawling kitchen, the hot tub on the back deck, or any of the other countless bells and whistles of the cabin. But right then….it was all she could do to not rip the flannel shirt into two shards of fabric and toss them to the floor.

He'd done all of this for her.

Peeta being selfless was nothing new, but somehow selfless Peeta took over her emotions every single time. He would do anything for her happiness.

She could feel his surprise as his mouth stilled over hers. Pulling away, she gave him a quizzical look. "Too much?"

Peeta stared back at her, his cheeks flushed and his lips still swollen and shiny from her attack. The boyish, deer in headlights look he gave her as he shook his head 'no' was enough for her to be satisfied that she hadn't terrified him. Peeta grabbed her roughly, spinning her around so that she was up against the back of the door. Katniss felt her head fall back against the rough wood as Peeta returned her amorous assault tenfold. She giggled as his stubble lightly scraped at her where her shirt met skin. His hands flexed and grabbed at her hips; she could feel the anticipation running through them.

I have him to myself for two whole days. No roommate, no parents, no assignments, no papers….

The nagging thought of her grades flashed through her mind for a split second, but she shook it off. There wasn't time for that when she had two days alone in a rustic little cabin with Peeta, nothing around them but the snow and wilderness.

Her leg curled around his as he pressed her up against the back of the door. The bags he'd dropped rustled slightly as he moved his foot so that he could put his knee between her legs. She exhaled raspily as her jerked it gently up; creating a friction with his jeans that was nothing short of heavenly against her thin leggings.

"Wow," she breathed, giggling softly as he lightly bit at her neck. Peeta's blonde head popped up to give her a beaming grin.

"I am so glad you are here," he breathed, his voice ragged.

"That makes two of us."

She smiled back at him and pushed the flannel shirt he wore from his shoulders. The white Henley beneath was tight and clung to his solid frame, causing her to shift against his knee. Peeta chuckled, shaking his head as he indulged her by slowly stripping off the shirt.

"Your turn."

Katniss reached down, pulling her long, slouchy sweater off in one quick motion. Almost immediately, Peeta's hands were on the tops of her breasts, massaging the fleshy mounds like a kid in a candy store. She bit back a groan as he lightly pinched her nipples through the fabric. The silky material blocked enough of his touch to not hurt, but it wasn't strong enough to elicit the feeling she got when he did the same thing, skin on skin.

"Oh my…."

Peeta's eyes roamed down to the black material that covered her breasts. The bra was new; it had been a Christmas present from her mother. Since they were a household of all women, it wasn't strange for Katniss and her sister to get some much needed new bras and underwear sets with their pajamas. It had been somewhat awkward to unwrap the pretty, lacy black item that was from her mother, but she was ultimately glad she'd gotten it – especially now. She laughed as she awkwardly pulled down her leggings and kicked out of her boots. Peeta watched her like a hungry wolf, his hands skimming lightly over whatever exposed skin they could find.

"See something you like?" she asked coyly, raising en eyebrow. Kicking her socks off, she finally stood in front of him in nothing but her black underwear.

Peeta nodded, the hungry look in his eye still present.

"Your turn."

He obliged, stumbling slightly as he tried to kick off his clunky winter boots while at the same time (and rather unsuccessfully) trying to kick off his pants. She caught herself chortling before she could stop it, but Peeta didn't seem to care as he tried to yank the worn jeans past the rather noticeable tent in his boxers. Reaching down, she cupped him through the flimsy material. Peeta's movements stilled momentarily, his eyes rolling back in his head as she gripped his member. It was already stiff and impatient as it strained against his underwear. She swore she felt him twitch as she took him in her palm and lightly squeezed. He stumbled slightly as he kicked his pants the rest of the way off, catching himself from falling by slamming his hand against the door behind her head. Katniss gave him her best 'sexy eyes' and watched his reaction to her touch.

"Oh my…God," he finished, his eyes falling shut as she palmed him. He leaned in closer, silently begging for more of her ministrations. His head fell against her shoulder as she continued to stroke him through his boxers. As strange as it felt to be naked in the entryway of a strange house with her hand on a set of genitals, she felt strangely empowered. She secretly loved him when he was like this; needy, eager, but still just as much of a polite little gentleman as he was in the first days at camp. Every other move she made still made him wide eyed and shaky with excitement. It was like he couldn't get enough of her, no matter how much time had passed. Knowing that she had so much control over him sexually gave her a heady little high that actually made being naked in the entryway of a strange house with her hand on a set of genitals…well…okay.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he breathed, nodding against her neck. She smirked, pulling the elastic away from his waist long enough to dip her hand down the front of his underwear. Flitting her fingertips down his shaft, she swallowed back her doubts and gently cupped his testicles. He let out another shuddering sigh against her shoulder, his hot breath making her shiver as she touched him. Her experience with guys was limited and frankly, balls were weird. She was never sure when to touch them or how to touch them or what even felt good. Another rippling shudder through Peeta, however, told her that she was doing just fine.

"If you're trying to tell me by cupping my boys that you own me…well, message received," he chuckled. His hips began jutting slowly forward against hers, his body clearly desperate for more friction.

She raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a coy smile. "I own you, huh?"

"Yes," he practically purred. His eyelids dipped slightly as he stood up straight, the blonde lashes catching the dim light of the entryway.

"What about….this?" she asked, raising her hand up to encircle his length. She watched as Peeta bit his lip and nodded slowly.

"That too. Yup, you can definitely have that too. Take me, use me, do whatever you want with me. Uhhh…." He stuttered.

She stroked him several times, the elastic rubbing against the skin on her wrist as she brought him closer and closer.

"Fuuuuck," he drawled out, shaking his head. "I need you."

Katniss nodded, finally relenting. Enough of her power trip; she wanted him too.

"Where?"

"Anywhere," he answered, his hips lightly brushing against hers. She pulled his boxers down, letting them fall to the stone entryway of the cabin. Peeta kicked them away as she pushed her own down underwear down around her ankles. The act was a little awkward, but neither one of them cared enough to be more graceful in that moment. He flashed her a boyish, almost drunk looking smile through hooded eyes as he grabbed her hip with one hand and the back of her head with the other. Before she could speak, his lips were on hers delivering a deep, smoldering kiss that made a shock of pleasure roll all the way from her lips to her toes and back up to her center.

She let out an unintelligible noise as he broke away and pushed her against the closest piece of furniture, which just happened to be an armchair just off the entryway.

"Here?"

"Here," he answered, his voice laced with desire. She shivered as she leaned up against the back of the armchair and pulled him close. He kissed her again, his lips never lingering long enough on hers to satisfy.

"Can I…"

"Can you what?" she asked, breaking away to grin at him. He was like a little kid asking for a cookie before dinner; so polite, so hopeful.

Peeta gave her a crooked smile. "Can I…can we…do it from behind?"

Katniss felt her eyebrows rise slightly, but she simply nodded. Hell, she was too turned on to care or ask many questions. Turning around, she made sure to brush her naked backside against his protruding erection as she leaned over and grabbed the back of the chair. Glancing over her shoulder, she did her best to not look like a complete ass while trying to be sexy.

"Like this?"

Peeta licked his lips and nodded, the hooded gaze he gave her almost predatory as his hands closed around her hips. She caught herself holding her breath and clenching the chair as he positioned himself at her entrance. Their eyes met, and she gave him a quick nod.

Her entire body seemed to quake with relief and at the same time energy as he slowly nudged his head through her swollen, wet folds. The skin seemed to sizzle with need. Her knees threatened to buckle at the intensity, but she locked them and gripped harder. This was hot. They were in a strange house, naked in the hallway, and they were fucking. She had to swallow back the nervous energy that seemed to bubble in her throat as Peeta pushed in and out, his strokes torturously slow. Aching for more, she pushed herself backwards against his solid frame, the front of his thighs hitting the backs of hers. The effect of it all was dizzying.

She could feel the muscles in his firm body shake and clench behind her as he fought to hold on. She wanted to blurt out everything she was thinking; fuck me harder! Yes! Just like that! Oh God! but guessed that would end this far sooner than she wanted. In less than a minute he'd managed to relieve the stressed-filled pressure that had been building up in her ever since their romp in the backseat of his car.

Peeta's hands roamed over her hips, her back, her shoulders. He brushed her hair over one shoulder, sighing as he moved against her backside. The way his large, muscled hands moved ever so lightly over her spin made goose bumps rise up on her skin. Peeta grunted as she clenched her inner muscles. Fuck it, she thought. He's close and so am I, and we have two whole days.

Her orgasm crept up, closer and closer as his hips crashed against her ass. Katniss fought to not cry out as long as she could, knowing it would only drive Peeta to the edge that much sooner. When his hand went to the spot where her neck met her shoulder, he gripped her lightly and used the position as leverage to drive himself harder between her folds.

"Peeta! Oh my…"

Words failed her. Peeta chuckled softly behind her, running his free hand down her spine.

"Peeta…..that feels…"

Lower and lower his hand went, circling her ass cheeks, tracing light patterns across the flesh.

"Peeta, I…"

Lower and lower his fingers went, until it was just one. She fought the urge to care and think of anything else but having a mind blowing orgasm…but when he touched her there she couldn't help but jump and yell his name in an entirely different way than she had been.

"Oh my….PEETA!"


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48: December 30th Part II

Katniss

"PEETA!"

She yelped, the shrill noise echoing against the tile entryway of the cabin. Jumping away from him, she went awkwardly careening into the back of the chair, ass in the air and feet fumbling for their footing.

"What the hell…" she coughed, whirling around. Grabbing a throw off the side of the nearby ottoman, she hastily wrapped her naked body in it as she caught her breath. They'd been in the middle of some of the hottest sex she'd had, seen or hell, read about when he'd gone rogue. Without warning me! She screamed internally. That was certainly not what she had expected him to do next. One minute she'd been in the throes of passion, a toe-crinkling orgasm building in her when he'd unexpectedly prodded her.

Talk about a surprise ending, she thought.

Blanket securely wrapped around her body, she gave him an open mouthed stare as she tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.

She could tell by the shocked and horrorstruck look on Peeta's face that he hadn't been expecting her reaction to be so…shocked. If she hadn't been so dumbstruck with surprise she would have laughed at how silly Peeta looked standing stark naked in the entryway of a house, his dick protruding from his body in a proud salute and his mouth hanging open. She'd literally stopped their sexy romp mid-coitus when he'd given her the shock of her life.

"What…Katniss, I…"

Embarrassment took over as she waited for him to stammer out actual words.

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she tightened the blanket around her body and rushed toward the hallway. Two doors down she found a bathroom and stumbled her way inside, closing the door. Eying herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. Yanking the faucet handles on, she splashed her face with some cold water and tried to calm down.

What in the hell was that!?

It was laughable really – she trusted Peeta with her life and her heart, yet one touch in the unfamiliar spot had sent her packing.

A tiny, manic laugh slipped from her lips as she stared at her hot cheeks in the mirror and tried to make sense of what had just happened. Peeta had tried to slip her a digit in her back door, but the act seemed so random she didn't quite get it. He'd never mentioned wanting to do that before, nor had he ever even come close to that area while they were having sex.

Katniss turned the water off with a sigh. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it? So he'd touched her butt. Big deal. She'd overreacted and she knew it, but she couldn't really help her surprise. It was a rather spontaneous move on his part, which she guessed she should have expected in a way – Peeta did love to surprise her with things. Why should this be any different?

The horrified part of her that was still chanting ew ew ew slowly dissipated, leaving common sense behind. Peeta had never done anything to her body that was anything less than utterly pleasurable. She doubted he wanted to break that trend at this point in the relationship.

Put your big girl panties on, Everdeen, she silently chided herself. Turning off the water, she stared at herself in the mirror and tried to get a grip. Looking around, she realized she had hightailed it into a quaint little bathroom with almost completely stone walls. Her eyes followed he patterns of the smooth, flat stones as they wound their way over the walls, covering it like they would the bottom of a river. She'd been too busy at first to notice the details around her, but she quickly realized their weekend at Peeta's uncle's cabin was a rare treat. Did she really want to freak out about something so minor and ruin it?

With one last sigh, she opened the bathroom door and slowly slunk back towards the entry way where she'd left a very naked Peeta. He was gone now, her clothes lying by themselves in a pathetic heap next to the doorway. The tiled floor stretched up to the ornate front door, which was framed by two roughly cut beams. The rest of the walls around her were in true log cabin fashion, sanded and gleaming with finish in the soft light of the foyer. The great entrance was framed with deer antlers, rustic little knick knacks, and various pictures of Peeta's family. It was one of the most magnificent houses she'd seen, and so far she'd only seen the bathroom and the foyer.

I need to apologize to him, she repeated to herself. He was only trying to be wonderful and I freaked out….as usual.

She followed the sounds coming from the kitchen, winding her way down the hall and to an open room. The kitchen was tucked into one corner, while the rest of the room opened up into a tall 'A' frame great room. It was too dark to see out the wall of windows on the opposite side, but she was willing to wager there was quite a view to be seen in the daylight. A long countertop separated the kitchen and living area, complete with barstools made of rough wood and little flannel pillows.

Peeta stood fully clothed behind the island in the kitchen, quietly unpacking the bags. The groceries he'd brought were strewn out along the countertops, the contents promising an array of delicious meals.

If she didn't feel like an asshole before, she certainly felt like one now. She cringed at her own pun in her head, furrowing her eyebrows together.

Peeta looked up when he realized she was standing in the doorway. He shot her a look that could only be compared to a kicked puppy that had just peed on the carpet.

"Hey," she replied lamely. "Whatcha making?"

"Dinner," he pouted quietly, not meeting her eyes again.

Crap. He's kinda mad about this, she thought.

Ignoring how stupid she felt being wrapped up in a blanket, she shuffled over to the counter and pulled up one of the stools. Peeta continued unpacking the food, every few minutes turning to arrange something neatly in the large refrigerator. His eyes timidly met hers for a split second, and his cheeks turned the ruddy, tell-tale pink that told her he was as embarrassed as she was about what had transpired in the entryway.

"So…don't you hate it when people overreact?" she tried to joke. "How lame…"

Peeta paused, his eyes flicking up to hers. "Katniss, look, I'm…really sorry. I should have like…asked, or something."

Her shoulders slumped. "I meant me. I blew this way out of proportion Peeta. That was…dumb of me. I freaked out for next to no reason and…I'm really sorry."

He frowned. "You mean…"

She winced, shaking her head. "What you did was…is fine. Okay? It's fine. People…couples…I guess, do that and touch each other there…"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe just, uh…boys touch girls there? I'm not…I don't know. Um, I'm not like an expert on this or anything…" she fumbled for her words, trying desperately to let him know he'd done nothing wrong and certainly nothing to be sorry for. He'd done something that he thought would feel good and she'd overreacted and felt utterly stupid for hurrying off like he'd burned her with a hot poker.

"Katniss..."

"Look, Peeta, its fine. I didn't mean to like, run away. I feel pretty stupid for it now, in fact."

Peeta licked his lips, balling a grocery bag in his fists.

"You kinda gave me blue balls…"

Katniss dropped her head to the side, pleading with him. "Please? I feel horrible enough that I reacted like a child."

Just when she thought he was really upset with her, the look on his face broke and he snickered softly to himself.

"Well…it was kinda funny. Cept for the blue balls part, it was good to know you can move that quickly if you need to."

She frowned at him as she sat at the counter, rolling her eyes when she finally realized he was okay and not really angry with her for her reaction.

"I'm going to get dressed, and then I'll help you cook dinner," she stated before tucking the blanket around herself and standing. She shuffled back to the entryway to find her clothes as Peeta exhaled loudly to himself in the kitchen.

Once she was dressed and the blanket was folded and returned to the chair she'd yanked it from, she returned to the kitchen to see what Peeta was cooking up. By the smell of it, something utterly delicious. She paused in the doorway a moment, watching as he bobbed his head and bounced his knee to some tune in his head while he stirred first one bubbling skillet, then another. She really wanted a tour of the cabin and a chance to explore their home for the next two days, but for the moment she was content to watch Peeta as he made himself at home in the kitchen and got to work doing what he did best – cooking.

Well, he does a few other things pretty well, she smirked to herself. Peeta gave the skillets a final stir before bending over to peek into the oven. Her head tilted voluntarily to the side to take a momentary gawk at the way his jeans hung off the back of his ass. Even she had to admit, for a guy Peeta had one of the best butt's she'd ever seen. His slightly stocky build and a few extra pounds he was carrying that winter had combined to give her boyfriend's derriere a pleasing shape.

Especially in boxer briefs and blue jeans, she thought.

He straightened, brushing his hands in a little pile of flour that sat on the countertop before plunging his hands into a large bowl. A small burst of flour rose up into the air as his fingers made contact, the smell of yeast filling the air.

Katniss inched further into the kitchen, watching him work with a tiny smile. She took a seat at the counter across from him and watched as he mixed the bread dough by hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching you work. I don't think I've ever seen you bake bread…just cupcakes and pastries."

He raised one eyebrow and gave her a coy look. "It's something you don't want to miss," he teased. "I perfected the art of making rolls and buns every day after high school. Thank my mother for that."

"I can't wait to try your buns," she replied quietly, avoiding his eyes. If she looked at him she would laugh.

Peeta cleared his throat, shaking his head as he continued his work. She watched him add more flour to the mixture before dipping his fingers back into the dough.

"Can I help you?" he finally asked, his quiet laughter breaking her staring.

"Oh, uh…no," she grinned. He smiled knowingly to himself and kept mixing the dough.

Katniss was quiet a moment before speaking again. "So are you still mad at me? About the blue balls?"

He chuckled. "I can't stay mad at you. Especially when you ask me if I'm mad about blue balls. No," he added.

"Good. I am sorry. For…freaking out like that."

She stood up and walked around the counter to stand beside him as he placed a damp cloth over the bowl of dough. Peeta picked up his spatula again and stirred the sauce.

"Want me to help?"

"Sure," he shrugged, handing her the spoon. "Make sure the hollandaise sauce doesn't burn."

"What are you making?"

"I'm making you stuffed chicken breasts, parmesan rolls, and your favorite…" he said, walking over to the oven to open it. She spied the contents and had to laugh.

"Green bean casserole."

"With a twist or two," he admitted. They were quiet for a moment, a slight air of tension settling between them. Katniss bumped her hips against his as they stood side by side at the counter.

"So…what made you do that?" she asked timidly, the question making her feel stupid already. She'd overreacted, but she still wanted to know what had spurred Peeta's bold move in the first place. Shifting her eyes up to his face, she watched as the tips of his ears began to turn slightly red.

"I just….thought it might be fun to try. I…it's something people do, I guess, I…" he stammered.

"Was it from that Karma Sutra book?" she prodded.

"Kamasutra," he corrected. "And no."

"Well…"

Peeta refused to look at her. "I…uh…no, it was from a uh….a video. That I um…happened to-happened to see o-online," he stuttered, finally spitting it out.

Her eyebrows rose up in surprise. Peeta had gotten the idea from watching porn. And by the looks of it, he was pretty embarrassed about it.

"You saw it in a porno and decided to try it out on me?"

He swallowed, shrugging slightly as he refused to meet her eyes. His lips twitched as he moved a few feet away to unwrap the chicken breasts from the paper. It crinkled loudly against the silence in the large kitchen. Peeta was quiet for another moment as he reached over to rinse each cutlet under the faucet. She watched him chew his lip as he laid them out on a cutting board and reached for a meat hammer.

"I…well, yeah. I was watching it and I thought that…well I worried that maybe you wanted me to and I hadn't. I was worried you were wishing I would try some uh…new things. I've never done anything like that to you before….I just wanted to be spontaneous…"

"Clearly," she deadpanned. "Because I take surprises so well."

He looked up in alarm until she cracked a smile. "Just kidding," she laughed softly, shrugging at him. "I'm a freak when it comes to surprises, I know it. I don't do well with them," she admitted. "I'm…stupid and weird, what can I say?"

Peeta began flattening the cutlets with the mallet, gently pounding the piece out into long, flat slices. Whatever he wanted to say was clearly on the tip of his tongue, but he seemed to be having some difficulty. Finally, his shoulders sagged and he stopped flattening the meat.

"I tried to shove my finger in your anus without warning you. In hindsight I guess I would have panicked slightly had the tables been turned. Live and learn, I guess."

She blanched and bit back a laugh. "Well…can we call it something else? Yikes…let's just say you…knocked and the back door and no one was home."

He raised one eyebrow as arranged the flattened pieces of chicken out on the cutting board.

"You could call it that I guess," he finally replied, his lips turning upwards into a smile. Then tension seemed to have passed. She was grateful it had – one little incident wasn't worth ruining an entire weekend of fun.

And alone time.

"So we're alone all weekend, huh?"

Peeta placed a slice of cheese on each piece of chicken, topping it off with a small heap of some stuffing he'd already prepared. He then rolled up the concoction, pinning the ends in place with toothpicks. She watched as he did the same with five or six more before placing them neatly in a casserole dish and dousing them with his hollandaise sauce. Her mouth began to water as he bent over and placed it in the oven with the rolls and the green beans.

"See something you like?" he asked, straightening up. She realized he was teasing her about staring at his ass, but the joke was on him – she'd been staring at the food. Food had never been a huge deal in her house – they bought food, they ate it, they moved on.

But Peeta was entirely different.

He selected his ingredients, he prepared everything with his own two hands, he arranged it in an aesthetically pleasing way on the plate, and when the food was ready, he savored it until the last morsel was gone.

He made cooking an art and eating an experience. She couldn't wait to taste what he'd cooked up for her tonight. A mouthwatering aroma filled the cabin's large kitchen, saturating the warm air with smells that made her stomach rumble and her earlier embarrassment a distant memory.

Her phone made a soft ping in her pocket. Pulling it out, she realized it was an official email from Effie Trinket, urging them to give her their final word on whether or not they'd be returning to Camp Panem that summer or not. She could already picture Effie's breathy voice perfectly annunciating every syllable as she urged them to get her answers to her immediately. Katniss was sure she'd never rolled her eyes at one person so much in her entire life.

"You're copied on this. Email from Effie," she muttered. "I wonder if she'll dress as ridiculously this year."

"You'd think she'd learn that the perfume and hairspray just attracts mosquitos and bees, but…"

Katniss bit back a smile, trying not to laugh at the memory of the plethora of insects that seemed to be drawn to Effie and her array of perfumes and sticky diet soda bottles she insisted on carrying around all day. The poor woman had been stung so many times last year she'd finally needed an emergency shot in the rump to keep her tongue from swelling up.

"Maybe she does it on purpose so she can pull her pants down in front of Haymitch," Katniss snickered. "The look he gave her when I took her to the office and he told her to drop her drawers so he could give her the shot…."

"Well," Peeta shrugged, "It probably didn't have to be given to her on the butt cheek, but old Haymitch is a notorious perv."

"I bet," she laughed. "I hope camp is as much fun this year. It only felt like work part of the time. The rest of it was just…so fun."

Peeta wiped his hands on a towel after checking on his food in the oven. "Yeah, I'm pretty psyched for summer myself. Can't get here soon enough. Not really looking forward to going back to Mark and his lovely lady friend."

"That's a person I haven't been missing lately," she admitted. "I was half hoping Cassie would spend so much time with Mark that she'd flunk out of school and never be heard from again."

Peeta frowned. "Nah, she's actually pretty smart…book-wise."

Katniss gave him a 'yeah right' look.

"I'm just stating the facts, Katniss. I haven't missed those two at all over break. And Mark won't be gone every other weekend with football this semester. Eh, at least I won't have sweaty gym socks and dirty jock straps hanging around everywhere."

Katniss pretended to gag, making Peeta laugh. She met his eyes across the counter, watching as the sides of his eyes crinkled up with a wide grin.

"Nasty. I think I'd have thrown them in the hallway for everyone to see."

Peeta chuckled. "He'd kick my ass for that. Ulgh, no I didn't miss Mark one bit. Really not looking forward to going back to that. And seeing Cassie flaunt herself around every day. I still think she thinks she secretly owns me."

Katniss gave him a glare. "If she does, come find me. I'll have another chat with her and straighten her out."

Peeta picked up his oven mitts and slid them over his hands, shaking his head giddily to himself. "I love it when you talk tough like that. Kinda a turn on."

Katniss rolled he eyes as he pulled the golden rolls from the oven, followed by the casserole. He set them down on the stovetop, the steam rising up into the already decadent air.

"Well, let's just hope she takes the hint and leaves me alone for good this semester. Maybe go to her room for once. Besides…with you there all the time, she'll have to get lost. Make herself scarce. Because I plan on having you around just as much as she is, and I'm guessing she won't be crazy about that. She and her loverboy can go suck face and hump like animals elsewhere this semester."

Katniss felt her stomach twist.

"Peeta…."

"What are your plans..., anyway? You have to get your stuff from your school still. I can drive up with the truck and help you move any big stuff out of your old dorm room."

"Peeta," she repeated, more insistent this time.

"What?" he paused. "What's wrong?"

She eyed him across the counter. "I still have to wait for my grades. I haven't heard yet. I might not…I might not get the grades I need to transfer. I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch."

"I guess," he sighed. "But I don't think of it as chicken-counting. I think of it as…positive thinking."


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: December 31st

Peeta

He opened his eyes, blinking momentarily. There was a fleeting second of confusion as his bleary vision fought through the early morning haze and focused on the raw-looking wooden beams above his head.

Oh right, he thought. The cabin.

He still couldn't believe he'd managed to pull it off, honestly. Getting away from his meddling mother and lovingly nosy father for an entire holiday weekend was something for the history books in Peeta's opinion. A party at the cabin was never something his older brothers could have pulled off, he realized. They'd tried countless times over the years when Peeta was growing up but their mother had been too on to their ways and cunning to let that slip by. She would always catch them at the last minute and shoot any of their meticulous plans down. Peeta had seen more plans for wild, drunken lake parties crash and burn than there were stars in the sky. He felt himself smirk at the memory of all their failed attempts. Not that having Katniss up at the cabin really constituted as a party per se, but he had a feeling having a girl up at the cabin all to himself was more exciting and risqué than any stupid kegger his brothers could have thrown.

Movement to his left made him inhale and turn his head slightly. Katniss was asleep on her back, her mouth open slightly as she took long, even breaths. She was sleeping deeply, he realized. Normally Katniss tossed and turned while she dreamt, thrashing around and muttering in her sleep. But not then. She was slumbering peacefully, her slow breaths calm and paced at perfect intervals.

He winced. While she was stunning in her natural, untouched morning beauty, she was rather solid. His arm tingled. Her neck was resting across his bicep, effectively cutting off all circulation as she slept, sprawled out like a starfish in the center of the bed. Peeta was tucked into her side, his leg covered with one of hers. The blankets were tangled around her legs and torso as they usually were after a fitful night of her rather active sleep. He'd never met a person who tossed and turned in their sleep as much as Katniss, but he'd almost grown used to it.

Not that he minded being awoken by her movement – it only let him wake up to her more than once in the morning. Sometimes it was nice to be woken up in the middle of the night by an elbow to the side or a bounce in the mattress when she changed positions. He would open his eyes halfway, focus on Katniss' sleeping form, and drift back to sleep knowing she was by his side.

Not that I'm overly romantic or anything, he thought with a smirk.

His arm continued to tingle as Katniss' weight pressed it further against the bed, but he couldn't make himself pull it out from under her. She was clearly exhausted from the past week. He assumed dealing with the stress of meeting his mother, the holidays, and her anxiety over her grades was enough to make any normal person almost crack. He couldn't blame her one bit. It probably didn't help that the drive to the cabin had been long, and she'd had to sit in the passenger seat and silently worry about what he had planned for them. He'd grown to accept her hatred for not knowing every detail of a situation and being caught off guard.

No, Katniss Everdeen was clearly not a girl who embraced the unknown.

From what she'd told him over the past seven months, she'd had enough curveballs thrown into her life to last her a lifetime. He didn't fault her for hating the unknown. Her father dying when she was younger had been more of a wrecking ball in her life than a curve ball. Her mother having to go back to work full time and leave her to practically raise Prim probably wasn't walk in the park either. He knew she jumped every time her phone rang because she'd confided in him once that she feared it was either Prim calling to tell her she was being bullied again or a bill collector asking where the water bill payment was. Once she'd told him that the month before she'd left for college her financial aid had fallen through for one reason or another. While he'd spent his last month before college out with his friends, sampling beers they'd snuck from their dads and hanging out at the lake, Katniss had been mowing lawns and collecting scrap metal just to make her first tuition payment. It had taken him some time but he finally understood her aversion to surprises or anything she couldn't plan out ahead of time. His heart ached for the life she'd led before him. He didn't envy anything she'd been through. He simply wanted to make up for it.

His mouth twitched as he stared up at the ceiling. Perhaps that was where he sometimes went wrong.

Sometimes he went overboard with wanting to provide the best for her.

Sometimes he thought more about what Peeta would want to give than what Katniss would want to receive.

Peeta knew he was a lot to take sometimes – he knew it. His mother had told him, his brothers, his teachers, his previous crushes….He was a passionate soul. Excitable, enthusiastic, and went through life with his heart on his sleeve. He would feel first, act second, think last….and then usually be swarmed with regret.

Just like the night before.

He knew she didn't like surprises. He knew that sex was as important to Katniss as it was to him. It was they physical embodiment of their trust and their relationship. Honestly, he treasured what they shared. It wasn't just the places they'd done it – at camp, in his car, in his room – that made their sex life incredible and utterly satisfying. No, it was the connection they shared when they did it. He'd never felt so close to another human being before he'd met Katniss. Peeta felt like he could trust her with every fiber of his being; he could be himself around her. She didn't make him feel like a piece of shit for being the way he was. She embraced it, albeit at times with a smirk or a sigh of exasperation, but she accepted him for who he was. She'd accepted his surprises, his presents, and his utter joy in sharing things with her. In reality, the real gift to Peeta was the fact that she knew practically everything there was to know about him and she still loved him and trusted him.

He pursed his lips and twisted them as he tried to ignore the tingling in his arm as he thought back to the night before. In hindsight, he probably should have thought out his little unromantic move a bit more before springing it on her. But what was done was done – there was no changing it now. She'd calmed down, even apologized and they'd had a nice, quiet dinner in the kitchen before Peeta had indulged her with a tour of his uncle's cabin. While it had been in his family for years, his uncle had only recently adopted it as his own and started remodeling it. The space was mainly used for summer family get togethers and hunting or fishing trips, so this was the first time Peeta had been up there without a throng of annoying relatives taking up every spare inch. He loved his family but they were very loud and obnoxious at times. It was quite relaxing to be there with just Katniss. He'd led her through the quiet house, the accumulating snow growing inch by inch every hour and creating an insulated feeling. Katniss had quietly admired each room in the cabin from the stone-tiled bathroom she'd retreated to from the sprawling great room with a two story fireplace. She'd seemed perfectly content to poke around the house, picking up old pictures with Peeta in them and making him recount each story behind it. He'd cringed and balked more than once as she'd picked up pictures of him with something close to a spare tire around his hips or his less-than chic glasses he used to wear as a pre-teen. It didn't seem to matter though; she'd simply sigh and smile down at each picture, listening patiently as he describe the summers he'd had up at the lake. They'd spent most of the evening on the tour, ending their night by watching a movie in the master bedroom loft. He would be lying if he didn't admit that hearing Katinss' soft snores ten minutes into the movie disappointed him, but he'd tried to be content with the idea of just letting her sleep curled up to his side. They got to wake up together so rarely he didn't want to be picky.

He'd hoped for a cure for his blue balls from earlier in the evening, but such was life he supposed.

Turning his head, he watched her start to stir as the mid-morning light began pouring through the windows. They'd slept in, but that was alright with him. His arm still prickled from being pinned under her neck, but he figured most of the blood his arm would have normally used was elsewhere at the moment anyway. Glancing down, he almost halfway hoped she would notice his early morning pants-salute and want to indulge him. But, he wasn't sure how long he was in the doghouse for trying his little stunt the night before.

Glancing down at the way her breasts were outlined by the white sheets, he hoped not long. The two prefect mounds rose and fell with the rhythm of her breaths, the shape of them beneath the material that covered them utterly tantalizing. His free palm twitched as he itched to touch them, hold them, and grasp them in his palms…

He swallowed away the dryness in his throat as she began to wake.

Peeta watched her groan throatily and stretch, tossing her head to the side. Her dark hair was spread across the pillow in a heap of tangled waves. The rich brown of her hair and the olive glow of her skin was an intoxicating sight against the white sheets. Peeta hummed to himself and felt his dick twitch against his boxers. Now he really hoped she would be willing to acknowledge him that morning. Two straight days of blue balls did not seem like the best option. Of course he could try to put some lame move on her to get her to notice him, but the sex was just that much more thrilling when she initiated it.

Katniss cracked open one eye a moment later.

"Were you watching me sleep?" she asked, her voice scratchy with morning fatigue. Her breath was sour, but he was willing to overlook that.

"Maybe," he chuckled.

She raised one eyebrow. She didn't look amused. Or fully awake.

"I was probably sleeping with my mouth open."

"Probably."

She acted annoyed for a split second before rolling over and untangling herself from the sheets. Hooking one of her legs with his, she let out a soft growl of approval as her thigh brushed his morning arousal.

"Well good morning there to you too, Peeta."

"It really is."

Listing his head, he went to kiss her. She shied away, her bed-raggled hair brushing against his arm.

"Morning breath."

"Really?" he quipped.

She eyed him speculatively, blowing a long breath out of her nose.

"You're right. Silly me, you've had a finger in my asshole. Why would you care about morning breath?"

He thought she was serious for a moment. She burst into a few silent giggles, her morning raspy-ness worse than usual.

"You're right, I have had my finger in your asshole," he laughed. "Morning breath isn't shit."

Katniss raised one eyebrow as the expletive hung in the air between them.

"Let me pee and then brush. Then we'll uh….address this," she laughed throatily, reaching down to playfully stroke him through his boxers. Her palm circled him from base to tip, the movement so delightfully light and teasing it made his toes curl. Peeta groaned loudly as she ungracefully crawled across him and landed on the other side of the bed with a loud thump. She snickered as she glanced over her shoulder at him before disappearing into the bathroom. He watched her leave, the bottom of her ass cheeks poking out of the sides of her black underwear. The old, practically threadbare t-shirt she wore to bed most nights was definitely something he approved of. It was thin enough to see her nipples through and short enough to let just a smidge of her lovely bottom hang out. Peeta smirked to himself as he listened to her brushing her teeth. Could he help it if he was a self-admitted pervert when it came to Katniss? Of course he wanted to touch her ass, he reasoned. He wanted to touch every square inch of that girl at least once a day in order to be complete.

Maybe he wasn't sorry about the night before at all.

He listened to her spit into the sink one last time before she made her way back to the bed. He'd slipped his boxers off while she'd used the bathroom so that she would return to find him naked and ready. Pulling back the sheet to climb in next to him, she chuckled heartily at her discovery before settling into his lap, hovering on her knees so that her heat was directly above his groin. His cock was ready and erect, already so hard he could feel the hot, velvety shaft pulsing against his stomach.

"You're naked."

"You should match," he cheeked. To his ears, he sounded like a kid trying to talk someone into something he knew he shouldn't. Katniss didn't seem to mind.

Reaching her arm behind her head, she gently pulled the worn t-shirt over her shoulders and completely off. It fell somewhere on the foot of the bed near his boxers, but they would worry about locating the items later. Right now he was focused on the most glorious pair of dusty pink nipples he'd ever seen. Her strong, shapely legs pinned him down when he tried to shift his weight and lean up. The early morning haze was still upon him, making him feel drunk with a lack of restrictions. He wanted to taste her. She laughed, pushing him back against the white sheets.

His eyes caught hers. She grinned a silent 'no' at him and continued to hover the apex of her thighs over his arousal.

He both loathed and loved it when she teased.

Katniss pleasured him with another coy look, the morning sleepiness not yet vanished from her eyes. The golden light streaming through the windows and into her dark hair made her look nymph-like as she sat perched above him.

Peeta reached up and palmed her breasts. First gently, then with more pressure. Katniss sucked in a breath at the contact. He backed away, teasing the sensitive skin with the palm of his hands. The lingering touch made goose bumps appear on her skin. She shuddered.

"Peeta."

He wet his lips at the sound of his name. Katniss lowered herself only slightly, tempting him.

"Whatever happened to you matching me?" he asked. He hooked his thumbs around the waist of her underwear, pulling at the elastic until it snapped against her tan skin. It was an underwear snap of protest, he reasoned. Why was she not naked when he was? She gave a throaty little laugh that made his cock twitch against his stomach.

She gave him a sleepy grin as she rose up enough to pull the black cotton underwear from her hips. She rose up on her knees, the elastic snapping loudly against the quiet room as she pulled them completely off. His eyes immediately flew to the patch of neatly trimmed, dark brown hair that sat nestled between her legs. He wasn't sure if there was anywhere else he'd rather be.

Leaning over him, she let the tips of her nipples brush against his chest. Peeta sunk further into the pillows. She had him pinned and there was nothing he was willing to do about it. He smiled to himself as he felt her lips brushing lazily against his collar bone. Letting his fingertips dance across her hips, he sighed up at the ceiling. This was bliss. How could he have ever pushed for more?

Tired of the prelude, he wound his hands gently in her hair. He pulled her mouth to his and kissed her soundly. Katniss moaned lightly. Peeta took that as encouragement.

Dipping his hand down, he kissed her deeply again and again. His knuckle brushed against her dampness. Katniss inhaled shakily against his lips. Instinctively, he opened his eyes.

Katniss stared down at him, her tousled hair hanging down around him like a curtain.

"I love it when you touch me," she whispered, dipping her lips to his ear. Peeta's breath hitched as she took his earlobe in her mouth and lightly sucked it. Just for a moment. Just long enough to make his breath hitch and the pressure of his hand increase. Katniss answered by slanting her mouth against his. He heard the faint breathy moan that let him know this touch was quiet welcomed. He continued rubbing her with the side of his fingers, his hand wedged needily between their bodies. He turned his palm up so that he could focus the pad of his finger against her clit. Katniss answered with a hitched breath. Soon after her lips stopped moving as a silent shudder built in her chest. He shifted his finger, twisting it to let the smooth flat of his nail run against the warm, dewy flesh. Her knees shook again. He'd had enough foreplay in the last two days to last him a lifetime.

He rolled them over in one movement, this time pinning her to the mattress. With one hand, he continued readying her for what was to come. His free hand wrapped around the base of her neck, tilting her face up toward his. His eye caught hers and they shared a look of raw anticipation. This was almost the best part, he realized. The calm before the storm.

Antsy for what was to come, he covered her mouth with his, his lips hot and demanding. Katniss sighed into his mouth, answering his probing tongue with her own. Peeta felt his brain switch off and his body take over as he gave into the desperate, hungry kiss. He could feel his cock practically throbbing against her stomach as he removed his hand. It was slick with her desire.

Peeta pulled his hips back enough so that his aching need could un-sandwich itself from between their bodies. Rocking his hips into place, he felt his length find her slit. The warmth was maddening. He felt one of her hands clawing at his bottom, wordlessly begging for him to continue. He didn't want to wait any longer. His hips sank further between her legs, his morning stiffness finally finding its home. Peeta dropped his mouth to her throat, humming against her soft skin in wordless relief. She felt so good.

He was so busy concentrating on the feeling of his cock being encased in her warm walls that he hadn't realized she was growing antsy. He felt one of her legs hitch around his waist, a heel digging into his buttock.

"Go," she laughed when he lifted his head up to look at her.

He snorted, turning his head away from her so that he didn't disgust her with his morning breath. She chuckled against the skin of his shoulder as he pumped his hips against hers. Her laughter suddenly turned to deep, practically silent gasps of enjoyment as he moved against her. He watched her enjoy his strokes, pulling his head back to watch her face. Her eyes opened as she clutched at him in the early morning light. She held him so tight – on the inside and on the outside, he realized. It was hard to tell where she began and he ended. Katniss held his gaze in hers and gave him another sleepy smile. She tilted her hips up to meet him, making him nearly see stars. He never wanted more than this, he decided. This was enough.

He felt her clamp against his length, her body getting the friction it needed. Peeta slowed his thrusts the way she liked. Her body grew stiff with pleasure, the rigidity of her limbs letting him know she was close. Dropping his head, he closed his mouth around one of her rosy mounds. The skin puckered against his tongue the way he liked. The sweetness of her skin was enhanced by the pebbled flesh around his lips. Katniss cried out in enjoyment, arching her back up to his mouth to silently beg for more. Without moving faster, he instead made his movements harder and more focused. He was willing himself to give pressure to the spot deep within in her walls that he always sought but only half the time found.

"Oh!"

He smiled with triumph as he knew he'd found success. Katniss arched her back further, her heel digging urgently into his ass cheek. Feeling himself swell impatiently within her, he silently willed himself the strength to hold on long enough for her to ride out her wave of pleasure. He dropped his head to her breast once more, worrying his teeth across the sensitive flesh. Katniss came undone around him with a hoarse shriek that echoed against the cabin walls. She felt like liquid fire against him as she pulsed with release. The contracting muscles of her walls was more inviting than he could bear. The pleasure was sharp and sweet as he came. He felt himself spill into her as he stiffened from the overload of pleasure, and he wasn't sure anything had ever felt better than emptying himself into this girl beneath him. Every nerve ending on his body seemed to come alive as he climaxed. He went from wanting to feel everything to everything almost being too much. Katniss legs drooped, slipping down from his hips to fall onto the bed. Peeta thanked her with a sluggish, languid kiss.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Katniss stared up at him, her gaze drained but appreciative. And just like that, all was right with the world again – at least in Peeta's eyes.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50: December 31st, part II

Katniss

She watched as he carefully rolled out the sugary fondant on the flour-covered counter. She would never tire of watching Peeta bake, she decided. He made anything that had to do with food into an art form. Katniss observed from the counter as his large hands scooped up the doughy material a second time, roughly twisting and pounding it several more times with his fist. Seeming satisfied, he rolled it into another perfect ball and carefully flattened it with a floured rolling pin. She smiled to herself. He could use his force and muscle to mix, knead, and pound out the dough, but once it was paper thin he would almost switch gears – the same hands that had practically mauled it into submission would then carefully cut, piece, and form perfect little shapes.

Peeta's focus was awe-inspiring as he shaped several more of the same pattern before gently bending and pinching them into flower petals. He was in his own world.

Leaning over his work, his eyes caught hers in a knowing grin.

He was making her katniss flowers.

The smell of sugar hung in the air as the cupcakes in the oven began turning slightly golden. Glancing over his shoulder, she eyed the timer on the oven and tried to calculate how long it would be before one of the delicious baked sweets could be in her palm and ready to eat. Peeta did many things well, but her favorite treat of his was still his white-cake cupcakes with buttercream frosting. She thought back to camp – a cupcake was the first thing he'd ever baked for her.

A katniss flower cupcake, to be specific.

And now he was making them again.

She shifted at her spot at the kitchen counter, anxiously awaiting their New Year's Eve dinner. Peeta was making homemade macaroni and cheese, roasted asparagus, and her favorite – cupcakes.

"You getting hungry?"

She nodded. "Especially for those."

Peeta shook his head, wiping his floured hands on his apron as the timer on the oven began to sound.

"Now now, you have to wait. Eat your dinner first, young lady," he teased, slipping an oven mitt over his hand. She grinned again, shaking her head at him as he made such a feminine task look so perfect. He was secure in his love of baking, which before meeting Peeta she would have assigned to women. But Peeta made it look like it was something he was born to do and looked more at home in an apron and oven mitt than most women she knew.

"What did I do to deserve katniss flower cupcakes?" she asked, her tone innocent. She managed to keep a straight face until she watched his eyebrows shoot up his forehead.

"I think we both know what you did to deserve katniss flower cupcakes," he muttered quietly, refusing to meet her eye. His cheeks turned the ruddy pink color that they did when he was embarrassed. Katniss covered her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt, laughing to herself.

Peeta was clearly thanking her in the best way he knew how – with baked goods. She knew damn well why he was baking them too. She'd joined him in the large master bathroom's shower that afternoon, surprising him. Things had quickly taken a turn for the dirty after that. She'd kissed and groped him to the point of insanity before dropping to her knees on the tiled floor and giving him a blowjob. It wasn't something she felt the need to do often – usually they were so frantic and horny when they got together they were barely able to keep their clothes on long enough to make it into a private space. However, now that they had some time alone and no fear of anyone barging in, she felt it was the right time to give the act another shot. And why not? After overreacting about the butt-thing and him surprising her with the weekend away, Peeta deserved it. Giving a blowjob wasn't something she ever thought she would willingly do – to anyone, but that was before she'd met Peeta. She used their somewhat unlimited time together to give him the much-deserved surprise. They'd let the water rain down on them as he braced himself against the shower wall. She sucked and licked at him for what felt like only a few short minutes as he stood above her, gripping the soap holder so hard his knuckles had turned white. It hadn't taken him long to reach his peak in the steamy shower, although she'd been in no particular hurry. Of all the things they'd ever done together, not once had they allowed themselves to be quite that thorough and slow about it.

Peeta had been in a rather chipper mood ever since, she noted. But that was the best part about being tucked away together for a few days, she realized. They never got to take their time with each other and now they could. She'd joined him in the shower to remind him how much she valued their alone time.

They'd spent their day together just hanging out on the couches in the Great room, indulging in every cheesy holiday movie they could find. The cable channels were still playing them on a loop even five days after Christmas, but she didn't mind. Christmas was the only time she was alright with cheesy. They'd skyped with Gale, who was crashing with Finnick for the night. His parents were out of town, so he was hosting a little get together of his own, Annie included. Katniss was thrilled to learn they were still an item after camp, but any mention of Madge had Gale's normally stoic features twisted into knots. He'd been working for most of winter break to save some money for a few truck repairs, so Katniss had barely seen her friend. After seeing his surly response to her questions about his love life, she promised herself she'd cut back on the Peeta time and make some time for her childhood best friend.

But that can come later, she thought. Now they were getting ready for their first New Year's Eve together. Peeta was cooking up a feast for them to devour and she had no doubt she would thoroughly enjoy it.

After they demolished Peeta's macaroni and cheese, he directed her into the living room where the fireplace was located. She obliged, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, just in front of the coffee table. It wasn't a real fireplace, but even the gas-fuelled fake logs created an ambiance she wasn't about to turn her nose up at. Minus their slight snafu when they arrived at the cabin, their time alone had been perfect. She wasn't ready to go home tomorrow, that was for sure. Her grades would surely be posted and it would mean she would have to get back to reality. Ulgh.

Peeta's heavy footsteps broke her from her thoughts. He set a bottle of champagne on the coffee table in front of her, followed by a little plate with their two cupcakes. The sugary fondant and buttercream frosting seemed to shimmer slightly in the firelight. She smiled.

"For me?"

"For you," he grinned, plopping down on the floor beside her. Turning the bottle, she chuckled at the label of the cheap champagne.

"Andre? For me as well?"

Peeta smirked. "Nothing but the best. Plus, it was all the gas station on the way up here had."

She shrugged, remembering Peeta's secretive stop at the gas station on the drive up. He'd smuggled a brown bag into the back of the car as she'd smirked knowingly in the front seat.

"I'm not opposed to some Andre. We'll have hangovers though."

He twisted off the cheap plastic topper to the bottle, the glass giving a halfhearted 'pop!' as he pulled it out. He poured a large splash of the bubbly liquid into two plastic Solo cups, handing her one and keeping one for himself. He held it up and she followed.

"To the next year," he started, turning slightly to look at her. "And whatever may follow."

"So eloquent," she laughed, clinking her plastic cup with his. "Now I have to say something equally meaningful, shit. Umm….here's to the next year, and uh…and hopefully to another amazing summer. If we make it through this next semester."

Peeta scoffed, nudging her to drink. She sucked down a large sip of the champagne, admiring the cupcakes on the coffee table in front of her.

"We'll make it. We'll make it with flying colors," he assured her. "Forget school, focus on the now. And cupcakes. Focus on cupcakes, if nothing else."

"You think you'll always be a baker?" she asked, turning to look at him. Peeta stared at the fire for a moment, the lines of his jaw flexing as he thought. He'd skipped shaving that day, and now there was just a trace of the golden stubble on his chin and cheeks that she loved.

"I hope so. I mean, it's what I love. I'm probably going to run most of the business someday, and….that's daunting. There's a lot of politics to it."

She listened as he spoke, his blue eyed gaze far off. "I just want to bake."

She smiled. "I know what you mean. It must be intense to try to fill your father's shoes."

Peeta nodded, taking another long sip of his Andre. "He learned so much of what he knows the hard way – trial and error. My mom wants me to be smarter. Which…shouldn't surprise me one bit, I mean….she's always been that way. Wanting me to do better than what I am, what I would normally do. She thinks I should just stay in school and get my master's while I'm there."

Katniss gave him a look of surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. That's another two years though, after senior year. Not sure I'm up to it."

"I have another year and half after senior year. Guess I'll be a five and a half year senior," she sighed. "That's a long time, Peeta."

He glanced at her, his eyebrows rising slightly.

"Are you worried?"

She shrugged. "Do you want me to lie?"

"No."

"Then yes. I'm worried. That's a long time to…." She trailed off before saying 'be apart.'

Peeta bumped his shoulder with hers as she took another drink. "I didn't say I was signing up tomorrow. But….she thinks it would help me. Help me avoid some of the mistakes my dad made the first few years he was in the business. I don't know though….it's baking," he snorted. "I think she's trying to make it more than what it is."

Katniss frowned in annoyance. Do you always do what mommy wants? She thought sourly.

He reached forward, handing her one of the cupcakes from the plate in front of them. If anything could lift her mood that was it. Katniss accepted the white cupcake, admiring the way the buttercream frosting was generously spooned and smoothed into place; the perfect canvas for the katniss flowers. He was right, in a way. Baking was a simple joy to Peeta – was his mother trying to make him complicate it?

"You don't want to do it?"

Peeta carefully peeled back the wrapping on the cupcake, shrugging slightly. "I love doing it. But I'm worried doing that will take all of that away. If I take something I love and shove it under a microscope, twist it until I've made all the money I can make and taken all of the joy out of it and truly made it work, well….then no, it's not something I want to do."

She glanced at the delicacy in her hand, focusing on Peeta's handiwork. She didn't want him to end up not loving what he did either.

"I can't imagine you not loving to do this," she admitted. Unable to resist, she took a small bite. The groan she let slip as the sugary treat touched her lips was out of her control. It was heavenly.

"Good?" he grinned.

Katniss licked the frosting from her lip, nodding.

"Delicious."

They were both quiet for a few moments as they tried to slowly devour Peeta's cupcakes. Katniss frowned down at the empty wrapper in her hands when she'd finished. They always seemed to go so quickly. It felt like just yesterday that she'd been sitting on the freshly mown soccer field at Camp Panem, the bugs biting at her ankles and the stars shining above them as Peeta had presented her with the first sample of his baking. The snow piling up on the windowsill outside reminded her that summer was a long way off, but at the same time was steadily creeping closer.

The next six months could either be very happy or very, very long, she realized. Tomorrow she would have to return home to check for her grades – the little bubble she'd been living in the past forty eight hours would be gone and she would no longer have any excuse not to check them.

She downed the rest of her champagne a little too quickly. Peeta chuckled quietly, watching her as he leaned against the front of the couch. Stretching her legs out in front of her, she leaned back with him so that they were shoulder to shoulder.

"You have a lot of skill in that kitchen, Mellark."

She poured them both another cup of champagne. They both took several large sips. Turning to give him a saucy look, she flashed him a predatory smile. Peeta smiled as he read her gaze, biting his lip.

"I have other skills too."

Katniss' body gave an involuntary shudder as she realized he was going to indulge her.

"Such as?"

The words had barely left her mouth before one of Peeta's hands came from his side, hooking around the back of her neck. He firmly pulled her mouth to his, planting a fiery kiss against her lips.

Game on, she thought. Katniss brazenly swept her tongue against his lips. She could taste the sugar and the cheap champagne as the mood in the room seemed to shift from anxiousness to desire.

"Mmmm," she sighed. "You taste good."

Peeta grinned, chuckling at his joke before he told it. "I bet you do too."

"I know I do, I ate the same-" she started, but barked out a short laugh. "-oh," she finished, getting what he meant. Raising one eyebrow, she had to mentally laugh at herself for letting the large cup of cheap champagne go so easily to her head.

"Funny funny," she teased, pulling herself up onto her knees. She threw one leg over his lap, firmly straddling him between the floor and the front of the couch. Peeta's slightly bleary eyes stared up at her with anticipation. Maybe that was why she loved taking charge in times like these – he always looked at her with the same wonder he had the first few times they'd fooled around. Like he could hardly believe she was the one straddling his lap and kissing his lips. It just never got old.

The champagne made her head swim. She grabbed the sides of his perfect jaw, her thumbs brushing against the slight traces of stubble. Peeta gazed up at her, lips parted, begging to be kissed. Lowering her face to his, she teasingly brushed her mouth with his and he answered with a moan of approval. He kissed her back tenderly at first, then it turned hungry. Almost demanding. Goose bumps rose up on her arms despite the heat from the gas logs in the fireplace. His tongue thrust upwards into her mouth, dueling with hers. Again she was greeted with the sugary taste of cupcakes and champagne. Katniss kissed him back, tugging at his lips with her teeth, twisting her tongue in circles to match his passion. Peeta's hands were on her hips, pulling her closer to his hardening groin. Katniss felt her blood start to heat as the intensity increased between them.

Every fiber in her body felt frenzied. Breaking away, she was breathless from his kisses. Peeta pushed the flannel shirt she'd stolen from his overnight bag off her shoulders, exposing the flimsy tank top. She hadn't bothered with a bra earlier, and now she was glad as he pulled one strap down far enough to expose first one breast, then both. Her skin was already hot from the fire and the cozy room, but it quickly grew hotter as Peeta's warm mouth began its assault down her chest. He placed wet, slightly drunken kisses on her collar bone, down her chest, and finally to her breasts. The stubble on his cheeks burned slightly as his lips moved across her exposed skin, but it only made her nipples harden with anticipation. Peeta didn't disappoint. She let out a silent gasp as his tongue swirled around one peak, then the other.

She struggled to pull at his shirt, suddenly wanting to feel his bare skin against hers.

"Take it off," she demanded in a hoarse whisper.

Peeta smiled, pulling his lips away from her nipple.

"Impatient."

She snorted. "Drunk. Horny. Need you," she argued between breathy gasps.

Peeta acquiesced to her needs, reaching down to yank off his shirt. Her hands had a mind of their own as they roamed up and down his pale chest, welcoming his new bareness with her touch. She'd already had him once that day, but once was suddenly not enough. Peeta grew harder beneath her as she straddled him, and she took notice. Nestled between her legs, she swore she could almost feel him throbbing against his thin basketball shorts.

She wanted him. Now.

"Come on," she begged, rolling off of him and pulling him further onto the floor.

"In front of a fireplace? Cliché, don't you think?"

She answered his attempt at a joke by grabbing his face and crushing it to hers as she practically forced him on top of her. They were an awkward clashing of elbows and knees for a moment as they got arranged on the floor, but soon enough his body settled on top of hers in a way that was familiar and sweet. She felt herself sigh as Peeta's weight rested on her torso. She could feel him between her legs, the hardness of his cock nestled against the crotch of her baggy sweatpants. Peeta rolled up the discarded flannel shirt, gently shoving it under her head as she pulled her tank top the rest of the way off.

"Such a gentleman," she laughed.

"Always," he answered.

Her sweatpants soon joined the pile of discarded clothing strewn around the room. Before Peeta could utter another word, her toe was hooked in the waistband of his basketball shorts and she was inching them down over his shapely ass. Peeta laughed as she failed, her foot pushing desperately against his thigh as the shorts refused to obey.

"Katniss-"

"I want you naked," she giggled. Dropping her head back onto the floor, she gave a slightly drunken sigh of frustration. "Arrrgh!"

Before she could complain anymore, she felt a whoosh of air as the shorts were tossed up onto the couch behind them along with his boxers. Peeta lowered his bare flesh against hers, both of them finally naked enough for her liking. Being buzzed and warm and full of sugar just made her want to have him inside of her so bad she thought she might burst.

"Happy?" he asked quietly. He hovered over her, giving her a coy little smile that made her heart race and her lady parts hum with anticipation.

"Yes."

Reaching down, he let his free hand grab her hip. He focused on her face as he propped himself up on top of her. She felt his warm thumb circling the skin above her hip bone, then swoop down to her upper thigh, then her inner thigh. The tingling between her legs increased with every inch. Lifting her hips, she urged his fingers to the place she wanted them most.

"Here?"

She shook her head. Peeta's hand dipped lower, sliding between her lips. The strangled sigh that left her mouth was the only other answer he was going to get. His thick, large fingers touched her delicately, probing and rubbing in all the right places. Her eyes fell closed as Peeta worked her closer and closer to the brink of the delicious feeling she'd come to associate with his touch. At the last moment, he pulled his hands away. Katniss' eyes flew open to protest, but she wasn't fast enough. Peeta replaced his hand by entering her swiftly, filling her to the hilt. Another silent gasp pierced the air as her words failed her. Spreading her thighs, wider, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tried to ignore the hardness of the wood floor and woven rug beneath her back. This moment was too perfect to ruin by thinking about such insignificant details for too long. She bit her lip as Peeta's hips thrust against hers. The friction was too much, but in a good way. Her toes curled as the intensity both inside her and between them built.

She opened her eyes. Peeta stared down at her, watching her face with a potent desire she'd only seldom seen. One of his hands reached up to brush against her thigh as she held her legs around his waist. She felt herself clench as the start of her orgasm built. Peeta's strokes were slow and steady and deep – he knew just how to move to help her body climb. He pulled almost all the way out, only to sink inside so deep she swore she could feel him up to her stomach. The heat from the fire warmed her clenched up toes, reminding her that the rug burn and stiff back would be worth it.

"Peeta…"

He answered with a grunt, running his free hand back up her thigh and up her side. He palmed her breast, squeezing her nipple before lightly scratching his thumbnail over the turgid peak. She let out a pant of surprise as the feeling of his hands on her sent a wave of pleasure straight to her clit. Her walls clenched him impossibly tight as she felt herself growing closer and closer. His body covered hers as his weight settled further on top of hers. He cradled her shoulders and her head as he brushed his mouth over hers.

"Tell me what you need. Just tell me, I'll do it," he panted, dropping his mouth to her ear. His hot breaths made her shudder.

"Harder," she managed to groan.

Peeta's pelvis arched into hers with faster, harder strokes. Any semblance of thought and control left her limbs as her release slammed into her like a freight train. Every nerve was alive, every hair on her body was raised, and the coil she imagined was inside her body sprung loose as waves of surging pleasure rolled over her. Her gasps were joined by Peeta's as he finished along with her for only the second time in their relationship. Peeta stammered above her, dropping his head to her chest.

"Holy….holy wow," he finally was able to finish.

She laughed, holding her hand to her forehead. Her body felt like jell-o as she lay beneath him, pinned to the rug.

"Holy wow is right," she sighed. Peeta rose up after a few moments, untangling his slightly sweaty body from hers. He smirked at her as he stood up enough to grab a blanket from the back of the couch, tossing it onto the floor with her. He rejoined her, wrapping it around their bodies before pulling her into his side. The soft chenille fabric against her skin was a welcomed change from the woven rug. She laid her head on Peeta's chest, draping her body halfway over his. Peeta stroked her side beneath the blanket as they both laid there, trying to catch their breath.

She blinked several times, stretching. They'd fallen asleep in front of the fireplace, she realized. Above her, Peeta's snored himself awake with a jolt.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Ah, arm's asleep," he said, shaking his other arm free. Katniss sighed, tucking her head closer to his neck.

"Thank you," she murmured against his skin. "For a perfect weekend."

He sighed up at the ceiling. "Just promise me we're going to have another amazing summer filled with sex like that and you never have to thank me again."

"Deal."

She cracked her knuckles as she waited for the computer to warm up. It was New Year's Day, and the little blissful bubble of winter break was over. She was back home, seconds away from getting her grades from the previous semester. The grades that would either make or break the rest of her college experience.

Prim hovered in the doorway.

"Whatcha doin?"

"Getting my grades," Katniss snapped, twisting the end of her braid around her fingers.

Prim stomped back to the bathroom, clearly annoyed. She listened to her start the faucet and reach for her toothbrush. She felt bad – she'd been short with Prim and her mother ever since Peeta had dropped her back at home several hours earlier. The ride home had been nearly silent and full of tension as she anxiously awaited to discover her fate. She'd refused to check her grades on her iPhone as Peeta had suggested – she didn't want him to see her cry if she didn't get the grades she needed.

No, she wanted to face that blow all on her own. Prim began brushing her teeth loudly in the background as her school's website loaded on their slower-than-a-snail internet.

Whatever, she thought. Prim could be annoyed with her today. She was always catering to her little sister, giving her the best and paying attention to her when she was home. Katniss needed one day for herself to be crabby and short and not give a shit what anyone thought.

Her fingers trembled as she typed in her login and password. All too soon she'd hit 'enter' and her fate was right in front of her.

Prim spat into the sink, rushing into the room.

"Well?"

Katniss stared at the screen. Three As and two Bs. Just enough to lower her GPA three whole points below what she'd needed. Not one, not two, but three.

She'd failed.

"Did you get it? Can you apply for the grant?"

Her voice caught in her throat as she turned in the computer chair. It creaked beneath her weight as her eyes darted past Prim's. She couldn't look at her sister.

"No," she said, her voice cracking harshly. "No, I didn't get it. I can't transfer."


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51: June 6th

(Six Months Later)

Katniss

She stared at her arm as it hung out the window of Gale's truck. Bits of her hair had flown out of her braid the second they'd hit the highway, but she didn't care. Winter was gone, spring had faded, and summer was finally there. They were coasting down the one lane road, the windows down and bits of gravel flying as they made their way toward Camp Panem to report for their first day of work for the summer.

She was finally going back.

Turning around in her seat, she silently hoped her duffel bag and suitcase were safe and wouldn't go sailing out of the bed of his truck they were going so fast. Her arm sizzled in the early June sunlight, her skin already browning slightly as it caught its first bits of real summer sun. She'd been holed up in her dorm room the past month, studying like a madwoman for finals. After her last test the week before, she'd packed up her room that was mostly littered with textbooks, flashcards, notebooks, and a rainbow of neon colored post it's all decorated with her chicken-scratch scrawl. She was officially done with Junior year of college and ready for another summer at camp.

She just hoped Peeta was still speaking to her.

Gale glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he drove.

"Nervous?"

She frowned in reply, trying not to show her annoyance. Gale always could read her like a book.

"No," she lied.

He snorted.

"Alright. So uh…are you pumped at all for this summer or you just gonna like….mope?"

She frowned out the window. "Mope?"

"Mope. You know. Cuz of you and Peeta. What's the….status of all that? You and him?"

"Gale…"

She didn't want to talk about her and Peeta. Especially not with Gale.

He turned off the road they were travelling down, his truck tires spinning slightly on some gravel.

"I'm just trying here, Katniss. I'm going to have to share a bunk with him for the next ten weeks, so…"

"I get it. Look we just…had to take a break."

He raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes darting between her and the road.

"A break? What does that even mean? You like….screwing other guys, or what?"

"No," she replied firmly. "Nothing like that. I just….we had some stuff to work out and I needed to focus on school, that's all. I had to get my life in order and just…think. It wasn't fair to Peeta."

"Because breaking up with him was fair?"

"Whose side are you on Gale?" she snapped, pushing some loose hair back behind her ears. By that time most of the braid had come undone in the windy cab, but that was the least of her worries that day. She hadn't seen Peeta since the first weekend in April – it was the last weekend of his spring break and the first weekend of hers – yet another inconvenient part of going to different schools. She'd been at his house having dinner with his family and his mother had started in on her about her grades and her scholarship because Peeta had blabbed the whole story to her and just….it was just too much. They'd gotten into a massive argument on the drive home and had sat in Peeta's car in her driveway for an hour. Fighting.

Which wasn't them.

It was never like them to fight that much. Or bicker. Or make a big deal out of things that weren't a big deal. After not getting the grades she'd needed to transfer to his school, she'd vowed to try even harder for the spring semester. That meant cutting her 'Peeta time' in half – they'd only seen each other twice since coming back from the cabin on New Year's Eve, and it had already been April. She was tired and cranky and her brain was full from so much studying. Peeta was emotional and frustrated and not himself when they'd fought.

As Gale drove along the bumpy road, Katniss thought back to that night in her driveway. They'd talked and bickered and fought until the air in the car between them was cold. She remembered how his smell surrounded her in the small space. How his scent of flour and soap and his cologne mixed together had almost made her sick with anxiousness. She couldn't be what he wanted – not then, at least. School was a priority, it always had been. It wasn't fair that she was constantly pushing him away to make it that way – she knew it and he knew it.

She suddenly had a case of déjà vu as the familiar carved wooden sign reading 'WELCOME TO CAMP PANEM' came into view. Unlike last summer though, she at least knew what she was in for this time and Gale wasn't practically dragging her here by her ankles. No, she'd been hoping and wishing for summer to come for almost nine whole months.

So why did she suddenly feel sick to her stomach?

"It'll be fine."

She glared at him sideways and shook her head.

"Stick to what you're good to Gale. Giving advice is not it."

He snorted in reply as his truck slowed enough for them to pull onto the gravel drive lined with ancient oak trees leading into camp. She wished she wasn't so nervous – she'd like to appreciate the beauty of it all. Her eyes tried to take in the lush, late spring green that made the entire landscape seem to ooze the feel of summer. She needed to relax. Peeta would be there when she arrived, and maybe then they could talk.

A recent rain mixed with the scent of freshly mown grass filled her nose. The scenery had changed from long, flat roads and corn fields to the lushness of the woods that surrounded the property of the camp. The oak trees on either side of the drive were swaying gently with a breeze, their green a welcoming sight. They rolled past the soccer fields, the tennis courts, and finally the pool. The truck bounced along the part of the road the wound around the scenic lake and the pines surrounding it, then up to the cabins, and finally past the mess hall. Her stomach did a nervous flip as they pulled into the parking lot in front of the main hall where Gale's truck would spend most of the summer.

They were officially back at Camp Panem for the summer.

Gale killed the engine and looked over at her.

"You still want to go?"

She shrugged, glancing out the window as she chewed her nail.

"No choice now. I'm signed up for the summer and Peeta…."

Gale opened his door, his boots crunching on the gravel of the parking lot. He gazed at her through the open window and frowned.

"Peeta will get over it. Okay Catnip? You did what you had to do. The guy's gotta understand that. Just talk to him. He's logical. Now come on, we'll get our stuff later. We're late."

She stayed frozen in her seat, trying not to chuckle at Gale's blunt demeanor. Things were still a bit up in the air with him and Madge, and she knew he was nervous. They'd seen each other a few times over the course of the school year, but her father's political career and heavy involvement and monitoring of his daughter's life made it difficult. His staff had expressed to both Gale and Madge several times that their relationship was not one that her father needed right now, as he was getting ready to run for some important position and couldn't take a potentially messy dating screw-up. Katniss wasn't sure why it mattered, but apparently Gale wasn't exactly cut from the right cloth to be seen out with a politician's daughter.

Pushing Gale's problems aside, she stepped out of the truck and onto the gravel. The main lodge stood tall and proud in the center of camp, the log structure blending into the background of pine trees like a picture. The morning was sunny and bright, only a faint breeze blowing in the heat. She'd been dreaming of this day for months.

She hoped she didn't throw up.

Placing one foot in front of the other, she followed Gale up to the large building. Pausing on the top step, she had another instance of déjà vu from the summer before; watching Effie swat away bugs as she hissed at Haymitch to stop drinking from his flask that everyone pretended not to know about. Katniss smiled to herself. She hoped some things would never change.

The wooden doors leading into the hall creaked obtrusively as Gale pushed through them, Katniss following. All of the counselors were already spread out on the floor in a half circle around Effie, who was talking animatedly in the center of the room. She stopped when her eyes fell on Katniss and Gale.

"Well…nice of you two to join us. Seats, please!" she trilled, giving them a stern 'Effie means business' look.

Katniss felt her cheeks flame at the unwanted attention and looks, while Gale acted like he didn't have a care in the world. He ambled to the outer part of the half circle and plopped down. Katniss followed, avoiding the eyes that followed her. She could feel Peeta watching her. She let Effie resume whatever speech she was rambling off before daring to look up.

Peeta was staring right at her.

She glanced away quickly, feeling her cheeks heat. She knew this would happen – she knew they would come in late like she hated to do – every eye would turn to her, especially his and she would blush or trip or do something stupid. Sitting down, she crossed her legs beneath her on the floor and looked down at the cracked asbestos-looking tile that made up the main lodge. It was stupid to feel the way she felt – it was just Peeta looking at her. She loved him – he'd seen her naked, he touched her intimately, he knew he deepest fears and secrets.

So why did she care if he was looking at her?

Because you know you'll have to talk to him, a tiny voice in her mind answered. Avoidance had been her friend these past few weeks. She'd been operating under the guise of nonstop studying, pretending like she was too wrapped up in school to offer more than a few words to Peeta's texts. They came mostly at night, right around the time when she used to take a break from studying and call him from the library's coffee shop for a phone date. Her chest ached at the memory. She knew Peeta was hurting as much or more than she was, but she couldn't handle it. Their 'break' didn't have certain terms, so he could have been off the past two and a half months doing lord knows what with lord knows who. She'd had to push back the green eyed monster in her gut every time she thought about it. Any jealousy she felt was her fault. The break had been her idea and her doing. Peeta could do anything he wanted.

She just hated to think about what that might have been.

She'd spent more than one night at the library during finals staring at the wall or letting the words on the pages blur together as she pictured Peeta out with another girl. They didn't set any rules for their break, so she had no right to be angry with whatever he could have been doing. She'd realized she'd created a lot of her own misery.

Effie rattled on in front of her, the trill of her voice echoing in the large room. Katniss stared at the colorful flecks in the tile until she felt Peeta's eyes turn back to Effie. Her heart slowly stopped pounding in her chest. It was utterly ridiculous that she was feeling the way she was. Of course Peeta would want to talk about it – that's what Peeta did. She'd taken his heart and done the one thing she'd promised she wouldn't do – she'd broken it.

Well, she mused, she didn't know that for sure. He didn't act surprised when she'd suggested in frustration that they take a break from things for a while. Just until schools out, she'd said.

Well, school was out. It had been for a week. Now it was time for her to face the music. They needed to talk about things and come to some sort of a conclusion so that they wouldn't spend an entire summer miserable and awkward around each other in a place that held nothing but memories for them.

Steamy, sexy, memories.

Katniss swallowed the lump in her throat as she picked at the fraying ends of one of her shoelaces. The front of the cabins, the soccer field, the archery course, the showers, behind the cabins…oh god, behind the cabins. She could remember tracing his jawline with her fingertips for the first time like it was freaking yesterday.

No, they couldn't leave things the way they were. It wasn't only the way her body missed him – her heart ached every time she thought of Peeta. She didn't want to be on any stupid break. She just wanted to be done with school and have enough money to pay off her loans and do nothing but stay holed up in a private place with Peeta all day. Peeta and baked goods. She would have been content to do nothing but stay curled up and naked with him all day every day, pausing only to shower and devour things like bagels and cupcakes.

No, she certainly didn't want any stupid break.

Risking a look up, she locked eyes with Johanna. Shit, she thought. She hadn't told her friend from the summer before what had gone down the last few months of school. Johanna frowned at her, her bright eyes darting to Peeta. Following her gaze, Katniss noticed he was avoiding looking anywhere but at Effie in the front of the room, his jaw locked and clenched. Katniss looked back down at her lap.

This wasn't going to be easy.

Effie droned on and on about her plans and expectations for them for that summer. Haymitch stood behind her, turning his back to the small crowd of counselors more than once to pour something into his 'I went to camp Panem last summer and all I got was this cup!' coffee mug. Katniss smiled. Between Effie's newly bleached bouffant style hairdo, Haymitch's pitiful attempt to hide a flask, and the smell of Sae burning tater tots back in the kitchen…it was strangely calming to realize that some things indeed hadn't changed.

Letting her eyes drift around the room, she was relieved to see a few familiar faces. Finnick and Annie sat together in the front of the group, Annie casually leaning against his side as she listened. Cato and Clove were there, although they appeared to be taking turns glaring and then smirking at each other from across the space. Glimmer was absent, she noted with a twinge of relief. She saw a few new faces – Prim and Rory were both junior counselors that year, along with a few other kids that looked like former campers. Rue was there, along with Jackie, Delly, Madge, Thom, and Thresh. Another wave of déjà vu hit her as she let her eyes roam to Peeta's profile in the middle of the group. He was still a little pale from a long winter indoors, his freshly cut blonde locks shining in the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. He was clean shaven and nodding along to everything Effie said. Just looking at him made her chest feel tight.

Effie clapped her hands together briskly, the rapping noise making Katniss jump.

"Well boys and girls, we're all set for another spectacular summer! Now, let's whip this camp into shape over the next week! Campers in seven days!"

Everyone stood, allowing Effie to push them out of the main hall and onto the main driveway of the camp. Rising up on her tiptoes, she spotted Peeta walking a few rows of people in front of her. There weren't many counselors, but Effie had herded them out of there like fucking cattle.

"Finish unpacking boys and girls, then I expect everyone to report to the campfire promptly at eight 'clock to practice our campfire songs and the anthem of Camp Panem!" she called after them. When she received nothing but a few grunts in reply, she clapped her hands a few times to get their attention.

"And I'll be smelling the cups this year too. If I see any little brown bags or flasks around the campfire this year, so help me God," she added flatly, her bouncy tone gone. She eyed a few of the boys for a second or two, shooting an annoyed grimace at Haymich who was snickering behind her.

Katniss exchanged a look with Gale and bit back a laugh as they continued walking towards the cabins.

"So help her," Gale sighed.

"Hah….Ow!" she exclaimed as a sharp elbow caught her in the side.

"What's up?" Johanna asked, grinning devilishly as she appeared out of nowhere. "Make it through the year?"

"Well," Katniss snorted, "I'm alive."

"No kidding, Brainless," she retorted, her mischievous eyes darting around. "What's with the silent treatment?"

For as loud and boisterous as she was, Johanna was also observant. She'd no doubt caught the ray of awkward misery flying between her and Peeta in the main hall and this was her way of asking about it.

Katniss fell behind a step, not wanting to include Gale or any of the other campers in their talk. The last thing she wanted was for her and Peeta's dirty laundry to be the talk of camp on the first day.

"Quiet," she snapped.

Johanna wasn't fazed. "Did something go down between you and bread boy that you didn't tell me about?" she immediately demanded.

Katniss rolled her eyes as they walked, the morning sun growing hotter with each step. She kicked at a piece of loose gravel with her beat up sneaker and watched it bounce off the base of a tree.

"Stuff," she sighed.

"Well are you together or aren't you? Shit, wish I had my phone."

"Why?"

"This is what Facebook is for. What's your relationship status on Facebook?"

Katniss snorted. "It says….well, that I'm in one."

"And I take it that's not the case?"

"Jo…" Katniss sighed. She stopped walking, making sure the other counselors were far enough away that it didn't matter what she said.

"We're on a break."

Johanna wrinkled her nose. "A break? What's a break?"

Katniss shrugged. "Just….things got complicated this winter. I didn't get the grades to transfer, and we were trying for a long distance relationship and I had school and studying and we just….things changed. We were fighting all the time and it was just….awful," she sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I fucked things up. Big time."

"Yeah," Johanna agreed, clapping her on the elbow.

Katniss winced. "Thanks?"

"You'll fix it," Johanna assured her, resuming her steps. "Bread boy is worth fixing it for!" she called out over her shoulder. Katniss watched her leave, remaining frozen in the middle of the pathway.

This was going to be a long summer.

X0x0x0x0x0x

After retrieving her oversized duffel bag of clothes and toiletries from the back of Gale's truck, she made her way to the familiar cabin where she was to live for the next ten weeks. Not much had changed over the course of a year – the front steps still creaked when she walked up them, the red paint was still chipping, and the screens were in dire need of repair. Still, it felt like a sort of home away from home.

"Katniss!" Delly squealed, bouncing over to her first thing. Katniss dropped her duffel at her feet as the blonde assaulted her with a tight hug. Over Delly's shoulder, she met Madge's quiet, knowing smile as she tried to disentangle herself from Delly's grip.

"I'm so glad you and Peeta came back! We are going to have seriously the best summer ever! Well, maybe second best! It'll be hard to top last year and all the crazy shenanigans we got into…"

After a lot of smiling and nodding and a few more hugs, Delly finally left her alone long enough to unpack. She'd been able to dodge her questions about Peeta and their year apart, but she knew she couldn't avoid talking about it forever. After the scene she'd made screaming at Glimmer on one of the last nights of camp last year, people were sure to remember that they had been an item, or at least were at one point.

All around her the girls were talking excitedly about their school year, their age group assignments, and the male counselors. Katniss smiled to herself as she folded up her new forest green Camp Panem t-shirt, adding it to her existing navy one from the summer before. It was good to be back, but strange too. She felt like she'd waited all year to get here and now….now she wasn't sure how she felt.

Glancing up, she realized Finnick was lounging on the bed a few bunks down. Annie was putting her clothes away, talking softly about something that had Finnick absolutely captivated. He was leaning against the wall, his arms behind his head listening intently as she spoke in her soft, lilting tone. Every once in a while he would reach out with one hand and brush hers. Once he even drew it up to his mouth to brush her knuckles across his lips.

"No boys allowed, Finnick!" Johanna trilled suddenly, making them all jump. Finnick shot her a playful glare from across the cabin, dropping Annie's hand only to give her a rude gesture in response.

"Plenty to go around, Jo!" he joked. Katniss shook her head, chuckling to herself as she folded another pair of shorts and watched Finnick pull himself up off of Annie's cot.

"I'll go. I know where I'm not wanted," he pretended to pout, flashing her a smile. Quickly, he grabbed Annie's cheeks and planted a wet kiss on her lips. "I'll be going now, love. See you tonight."

Annie nodded happily, her face red but her eyes bright as she watched Finnick gracefully yank the screen door to the cabin open with a flourish. Katniss listened to him stop on the creaky first step.

"Visitor for Miss Everdeen!" he called back thought the screen, pressing his nose against the mesh. He grinned sheepishly at her as she tossed down the t-shirt she was folding and went to the door without thinking.

Finnick was on the front porch of their cabin, an expectant smile gracing his model-like face.

"I do believe you have a gentleman caller," he replied in a funny accent. He turned, vaulting over the railing with a goofy yell before jogging towards his cabin. Katniss turned her head to see Peeta standing at the foot of the steps.

"Hey,"

"Hey," she answered back, her throat going immediately dry.

"We need to talk," he said. His voice was firm but quiet, his blue eyes hard. He was an odd mixture of boyish and serious as he stood at the bottom of the steps staring up at her, awaiting her answers.

She felt herself nod. "Yes. We do. Uh…"

"Tonight – after the campfire. Let's go down to the dock."

Katniss nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears with a shaky hand.

"Okay. Let's talk."


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52: June 6th Part II

It was like the previous summer all over again as she walked into the cabin and caught the attention of the other girls. They were like moths to a flame.

"Katniss, what did Peeta want?" Johanna demanded.

"Katniss, I thought you two broke up," Rue added sadly.

"They're just on a break!" Annie sighed, shaking her head.

"But he looked like he wanted to talk!" Delly chimed in hopefully.

Katniss felt sick. The heat of embarrassment form suddenly being the center of attention and interest once again was more than unwelcomed. She remembered all at once why they'd kept their relationship last summer a secret.

"So what if he did want to talk? She knows that, jeez," Johanna interjected, nudging her way to the front of the group. One irritated glance was all it took to get the rest of them to back away and give her some space.

Katniss exhaled shakily – she hated attention, especially from other girls. They had a way of feeling like vultures sometimes with their looks and probing questions. Maybe that was why she'd never been much for having girlfriends growing up.

She felt shaky and unsteady. The rush of seeing Peeta after so many weeks apart and having those intense blue eyes on her once again was also making her heart beat a little faster than normal. How did that happen, she wondered? He'd seen her at her weakest, he's seen her exposed, and she's shared the most intimate of acts with him.

So why did her heart suddenly feel like this was nothing but a crush and everything was suddenly new again? It felt silly to be this worked up. Of course she wanted to talk to Peeta – she was glad he'd initiated it. She was too much of a coward to do what needed to be done. They needed to talk.

"We just…had some things we needed to work out. Talk about," she stuttered clumsily, avoiding the eyes of her bunkmates. The stagnant air of their screened in cabin was suddenly a little less stifling as she tried to remind herself that this group of girls wouldn't rake her over the coals for her problems – these were some of the few friends she had.

She turned away towards her bunk to continue unpacking. They seemed to take the hint. Slowly, each of them went back to their own business and continued on with unpacking and catching up. When the mattress dipped slightly, she looked over to see Rue's huge brown eyes looking up at her with a hopeful stare.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Katniss let out a little huff of air.

"No."

She folded a re-folded a pair of sleep pants, trying to arrange them into the tiny drawers beside her bed. She hadn't packed enough last summer; on the cooler nights she'd yearned for more yoga pants and hoodies, but on the steamier nights she'd wished she'd packed more tank tops. But now as she was trying to stuff them into the rickety drawers that probably pre-dated her mother, she cursed and found herself folding and refolding everything. Rue watched her silently, her quiet somehow almost loud. Katniss couldn't take it anymore.

"Things got tough when we went back to school. I loved…love him, but it was hard. Even though we weren't far from each other, it was a lot different than I thought it would be. Having a long distance relationship, that is," she heard herself quietly explain.

Rue let her talk, barely interjecting at all as Katniss explained the past nine months to her – the ups, the downs, the ugly. It felt good to get it all out.

"I'm going to take a walk before the campfire," she sighed when it was finished. She was all unpacked and Rue knew every detail of the past nine months. Katniss knew that if she was going to have her head on straight to talk to Peeta later she needed some time alone to think. The other girls were busy talking, laughing, and unpacking for the summer when she slipped out the door to their cabin and began to walk up the worn gravel path.

Not much had changed over the winter – the summer was new, the trees were green, and the air smelled like freshly cut grass and pine. The line of communal sinks was still rusting away in the middle of the clearing, the rickety faucets still suffering with leaks. Poison ivy still grew beneath a group of pines near the turnoff to the mess hall, and the whitewashed fences next to the showers peeled beneath the sunlight. As twilight settled onto the camp, she felt slightly better. It helped to be at Camp Panem again – the breathtaking scenery was far better than the manicured lawns and brick buildings of school. She would have gone crazy sitting at home all summer, and this job didn't pay horribly for at least getting to be outside.

She was glad to be back. She just needed to fix things with Peeta.

Katniss paused her steps, taking a minute to peer through the trees. The path veered to the left on the way to the fire pits where they held their almost nightly bonfires, exposing a view of the lake down the hill. It glittered in the fading light, beckoning her through the heat of the day. The high temperatures so early in the season forecasted of a steamy summer ahead.

Light footsteps caught her ear. Turning, she saw Haymitch making his way up the path from the lake carrying an arm's load of kindling for the fire.

"Help a guy out, will ya?" he grunted, catching sight of her. Katniss took some of the twigs and sticks and spindly looking pieces of wood from his arms, easing his load.

"Better get this over to the burn pit before Effie has a cow."

Katniss bit back a snot.

"Right, because that would be so terribly out of character for her."

Haymitch didn't say anything, but she thought she saw the corners of his mouth turn upwards ever so slightly. She still hadn't forgotten the time last summer when she'd caught the two of them together; both had mussed hair, panicky looks, and Haymitch had Effie's bright pink lipstick smeared across his face and neck. She wondered if they were still a thing but wasn't about to ask.

"So…" he grumbled, "You still gonna be my archery girl this year?"

"Yah," she sighed. "You gonna stop drinking in front of the campers?"

He chuckled this time.

"Let's just stick to what we know, alright?"

"Fine," she laughed, shaking her head.

They made their way down the worn path to the fire pit, which was really just a large clearing in the woods that was lined with stumps and bales of hay. A large, almost ten foot pit had been dug in the center and was currently stacked high with logs and pieces of timber from some leftover project. Haymitch unceremoniously dropped the stack of twigs he'd been carrying next to the pile, motioning for her to do the same.

Looking around, he surveyed the area with contentment. Katniss wasn't sure how he'd come to run Camp Panem exactly, but she could tell it was a source of pride for him.

"So," he started, "You and bread boy still an item?"

Katniss gave him an incredulous look. Since when was the old drunk as gossipy as the girls in her cabin?!

"I really wish people would just mind their own damn business," she growled before thinking. Shaking her head, she shot him an aggravated glare.

Haymitch laughed. "So I'll take that as a no?"

"I thought we were sticking with what we know," she snapped. "I don't ask you about your relationship with Effie, do I?"

That shut him up.

They maintained a cease fire with each other for the next several minutes. She wordlessly helped him stack the kindling and twigs in a neat little tee-pee before lighting it, the orange flickering flame slowly spreading to the rest of the wood. The fire snapped and crackled happily as the early summer sunlight began to fade. Before long, Effie came prancing down the path into the clearing. Katniss was a little relieved see her actually wearing somewhat sensible clothes this year – her sneakers were new and bright, but were at least more appropriate than her high heeled hiking boots from last year. She wore practical khaki shorts that night, but her starched white polo shirt was still out of place with the scenery.

Katniss shook her head as she watched Effie make Haymitch cover her in head to toe with enough bug spray to kill every mosquito within a fifty yard radius.

As more and more of the counselors showed up to the bonfire, Katniss tried to will herself to relax. She needed to have a clear mind to talk to Peeta later. She'd already hurt him enough with her stupidity; the last thing she wanted to do was blurt out something the wrong way and hurt his feelings even more. It was going to be crucial that she say how she really felt and not screw things up with him even more than she already had.

That was going to be difficult, she realized.

As soon as Peeta ambled into the clearing where the bonfire was being held, she met his eyes across the short distance and lost all nerve. The old feelings of familiarity with him were long gone – in their place were nerves and butterflies. She hadn't seen him in weeks, but somehow it felt like months, or even years. He'd changed too much in the last year. He was no longer vulnerable and boyish like the Peeta's she'd met last June.. He still held traces of that person, yes, but….he was different somehow, she realized. He was older.

Harder.

Changed.

She knew part of that was because of her. Part of that was because of what had happened in the last year.

"Here," Gale muttered handing her a soda. His face was hard and his mood was sour. She knew him well enough to know.

"What's up with you?"

He shrugged.

"You talk to Madge?" she tried again.

Gale's eyebrows knit together as he fiddled with the tab on his can.

"Maybe."

"So that's a yes."

He settled onto the bale of hay next to her and stared forward into the fire. Katniss knew it was only a matter of minutes before Effie made them practice singing the anthem of Camp Panem and do their silly ice breaker activities.

"Why does shit have to be complicated?" he asked. "Why can't it just stay the same? Things are so much simpler here. Then it's like…you go home and shit just….gets weird."

Katniss nodded, glancing up. Peeta was across the fire, talking with Finnick and Thom but his eyes still caught hers.

She sighed. "Tell me about it."

When the bonfire was over, she began walking back to her cabin with Delly and Rue. Peeta hadn't given her any specifics about when he'd wanted to meet other than 'later', so she wasn't sure what he had planned. As they walked up the path towards the cabins, she glanced over her shoulder and squinted to see through the darkness. She could see Peeta lingering behind the group, his hands jammed in his pockets. He looked up, his eyes catching hers again. He nodded in the direction of the docks before veering off and walking down the path towards the lake.

Knowing this was her chance, Katniss touched Rue's elbow.

"Hey um…I'll be up in a bit, ok?"

Rue followed her gaze to Peeta's back as he walked towards the docks.

"Sure," the younger girl grinned. "Go get him."

Rolling her eyes, she gave her friend a playful shove and tried to look casual as she followed Peeta down to the docks. Her heart started beating faster as she followed his form out to the end of the wooden planks floating over the black water. There wasn't much of a breeze that night, so that water was practically pristine and still in the darkness.

She watched him pause and the end of the dock before folding his knees down and sitting. She stopped a few feet behind him as he kicked off his flip flops and let his pale legs dangle into the water.

He didn't look up.

"You gonna sit?" he asked.

Katniss felt herself falter. Her nervousness was insurmountable.

"S-sure," she stuttered slightly. Slipping off her own flip flops, she lowered herself to sit on the dock, allowing at least three feet of space between them. It wasn't clear to her how close – or far away Peeta wanted to be when they talked. The space between them already felt like more than just three feet – it felt like a canyon.

And it was entirely her doing.

The water was warm at the surface, still heated from the remnants of the hot afternoon sun. As her feet sunk lower into the dark water, the chill became more apparent. Glancing sideways, she surveyed the planks of the dock that rested between them. Four.

Four too many.

"So…" he started. "How did you finish out the year?"

She wasn't sure if he was asking about her or her grades – the grades thing had been what most of their arguments that spring had been about. Unsure of where to go from there, she tried her best to keep their conversation neutral.

"I survived. Um, barely," she mumbled. "How about you?"

"Eh…same."

She nodded, not sure what else to say. Say something! Anything!

"So…you came up yesterday?"

"Yeah," he nodded. She watched him clench his jaw in the way that she used to love. For someone so gentle and mild mannered, Peeta looked every bit the opposite when he clenched his squared jaw. He was developing a slight five-o'clock shadow and his freshly cut hair looked disheveled from that morning.

"Drove Finnick up yesterday," he continued. "We just hung out last night."

"Oh. That sounds nice," she added lamely. "Did I miss anything?"

Peeta thought a moment before breaking his stony demeanor and cracking a smile.

"Well…you did miss something. I guess Cato and Clove are….still an item, erm…if you can call it that. I guess Haymitch caught them on the soccer field last night."

"Caught them?" she asked without thinking.

Peeta chuckled.

"Well, they weren't playing soccer, let's just say it that way. Called them out over the loudspeaker on the field before turning the lights on them. Clove got herself at least covered before running off but…oh my God, I'll never forget the sight of Cato's white ass running off that field as long as I live."

Katniss snorted as Peeta laughed.

"Gross," she commented. She let a giggle slip, shaking her head at him. Peeta kicked his legs in the water slightly, causing it to ripple with movement.

As their laughter died down, he gripped the edge of the dock and leaned forward to look at her sideways.

"I'm glad you came here tonight."

She nodded.

"Of course. We needed to…talk things over. Peeta, I….I hate how we left things. I'm sorry for that."

He shrugged. "I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you to transfer. Couldn't have been easy…"

She cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"No, you…you aren't the one who has to say they're sorry. Peeta…not by a long shot. I certainly didn't come down here tonight for you to be the one who apologizes."

"Katniss…"

"You don't need…or have anything to be sorry for."

Peeta's shoulder slumped. "I know you tried really hard to get the grades you needed to be with me."

Katniss shrugged. "I wanted to transfer as much as you wanted me to. But it didn't happen. I couldn't handle how disappointed you were. You'd done so much planning and helping and…."

"I know. But I shouldn't have put so much on you to actually do it. I just wanted to be with you, Katniss. Everyday. The distance….no matter how short it was….sucked, ya know?"

She nodded. "I know. I hated it too. But I was also scared. Scared that I wasn't going to be able to pull it off. Guess we found out that fear wasn't entirely unwarranted."

Peeta shook his head.

"I shouldn't have put so much stress on you. I knew there was a chance you weren't going to do it, but I just…believed in you. Jesus, I talked about it enough. I'm sorry…you probably hate me for-"

"Peeta," she cut him off, "Don't apologize for believing in me. I was trying to get straight A's. In Nursing that's like…almost impossible. You thought I could do it though. You really believed I could do it. I mean…how could I hate you for wanting and believing that I could achieve the impossible. I can't…. That's…really beautiful of you. I mean…you were my biggest support in all of that. You really assumed I could do it. I came so close, I….I just got so mad at myself, you know? I failed. I came so close and just….choked."

"Nobody's perfect," Peeta replied, kicking his feet in the water. "You come close though."

She bit back a smile.

"I really don't. I didn't get what I wanted so I freaked out. I lost it. I couldn't handle not giving you what you wanted when all along you'd fought to give me everything, Peeta. When I found out that I didn't get the grades I needed I lost all hope and just…hit rock bottom. Telling you I didn't get them was one of the hardest things I've ever done."

"Katniss," he sighed softly, inching closer to her on the dock. She felt her skin heat in response, but tried to push it back. They needed to talk.

"No, I need to say this Peeta," she interjected. "I need to say this to you. You deserve it. I'm….I'm sorry I hurt you. Okay? That night in your car that we fought and I told you I wanted to take a break I wasn't myself. I was scared and I felt cornered and like a complete and just…utter failure at life. I felt like I'd let down one of the most important people in my life. That's the worst….absolute worst feeling in the world. I wanted nothing more than to get what I needed to transfer to your school, Peeta, I really did. It would have been amazing to be there and to just….see you every day," she said, swatting a mosquito away. She glanced over at him, trying to keep her nerve.

"Telling you that we needed to take a break was….awful. It killed me. But I couldn't live with being with you and being such a disappointment. You're so good, Peeta. I don't deserve you. You're the best thing that….has ever happened to me."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she couldn't stop. Blinking them away, she tried her best to keep talking – she had to know that Peeta knew the truth about what had happened and why.

"Not only did I have to live with disappointing you, I had to live with disappointing myself. I'd never wanted anything more than I wanted to transfer. It's a great school, it's closer to home, and I'd get to see you every day. And when I failed I….I couldn't handle it. I…I don't mean to make this about me, and how I couldn't deal with shit, so I'm sorry. That's not why you wanted to talk, I'm sure."

"No, it's okay," he insisted. He stared straight out at the water. "This helps to hear. For weeks I've just been wondering what was going on in your head and…this helps. Go on."

"I went off the rails I guess, so to speak. Every time I looked at you or talked to you I just was reminded of how much I sucked," she sniffed, wiping a tear away from her eye.

"You don't suck, Katniss," Peeta sighed. Reaching over, his hand covered hers on the worn wood of the dock. Her heart began to pound at the warmth of his touch again. Peeat's hand squeezed hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Peeta, I…I'm so sorry for what I did. What I said to you. I still…." She gulped, "really love you and hurting you is one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my entire life. I hope you can…forgive me and we can be friends."

She couldn't look at him. Couldn't bear to see his face or see his reaction. She wasn't sure her heart could handle it.

Peeta was quiet. She was afraid to look over at him. The only thing she could concentrate on was the feeling of his hand on top of hers, squeezing it gently. The crickets and frogs sang all around them, but somehow the silence was nearly deafening.

He grasped her hand tighter, pulling her up to stand with him suddenly. Glancing up, she saw his stoic face. He looked to be deep in thought. Keeping their hands together, he silently pulled her up the dock. They walked in silence together up the path towards the cabins, his hand still burning against hers.

Katniss was a mess. Her breath hitched as she fought to remain calm and not demand why they were leaving. Didn't he want to tell his side? Yell at her? Demand more answers, or tell her how much he surely hated her for doing such a thing to him?

But he didn't.

Instead, he held her hand and walked slowly back to her cabin. It was dark inside, as everyone was probably already asleep. Peeta stopped at the bottom of the steps, dropping her hand so that he could put both of his hands on her hips. He turned her to face him before looking her square in the eye.

"Peeta, I-"

"-I get it," he cut her off. "I didn't get it then, but I get it now."

She gulped. "Can you ever forgive me? Can we be friends? I-"

He cut her off midsentence. His hands came up, cupping her cheeks firmly so that he could pull her mouth to his. His kiss silenced her completely as he held her to him, his mouth perfectly molding against hers. The spark he had lit in her belly earlier just by touching her hand had been fanned into a full out flame as he kissed her. She let a breathy moan slip out as his tongue swiped against her lower lip. He sucked it lightly, deepening the kiss and making her toes curl against her flip flops.

He broke away, ending it all too soon. Her eyes slowly opened. She felt drunk.

"Peeta?"

She couldn't see well in the dark, but his eyes looked like they were wide and as dilated as hers. He held her cheeks in his palms and let out a slow, choppy exhale.

"I'm not sure I can just be friends, Katniss."

"I-"

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I just had to do that," he breathed, letting his forehead drop to hers. She felt herself shudder as his hot breath blew across her cheeks. Her head was spinning so badly she barely felt him brush his lips against her forehead before pulling away.

"Goodnight Katniss," he said quietly. And with that, he slowly walked back up the path towards his cabin.

She leaned back against the railing, the only sound the crickets and the hum and buzzing from the mosquito light behind her. Running a hand through her hair, she tried to regain the ability to breathe normally.

"Holy fuck," she muttered breathlessly, her voice cracking against the silence. What the hell had just happened?


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53: June 7th

Katniss

"You look guilty."

Katniss glanced up at the voice speaking to her, internally wincing as she realized who it was. Johanna slid her breakfast tray down to rest even with Katniss' across the table. The mess hall was quiet for breakfast the next morning – just the way Katniss preferred it. She was still spinning from the night before and her talk with Peeta. She was in no mood to hash it out with Johanna, who she knew would badger her for mindless details about the entire thing. She decided to play dumb to see if that would deter her nosy breakfast companion.

"What?"

"You. Look. Guilty," her friend repeated, her dark eyebrows knitting together. Johanna's eyes scanned her, making her feel raw and exposed. She didn't like feeling that way – she normally only allowed herself to feel that way when she was with Peeta. Nerves twisted her stomach. Johanna was good at getting the information she wanted. The words from the night before still belonged to Katniss and Peeta, no one else. It was as if talking about it out in the open would jinx the hopeful feeling that had settled over her that morning. Katniss' head was still too full of thoughts of their talk and their sorrys and what happened after to put on her normal front.

"I heard you come in last night. Take a little walk after lights out did we?"

Katniss feigned a confused look before turning her attention back to her corn flakes. Her mood was still completely befuddled from Peeta's welcomed assault on her mouth from the night before, but she was satisfied all the same. The feeling of Peeta's lips on hers had been familiar and new at the same time. She would really just enjoy being able to bask in the feeling of miniscule hope that things between them could be mended, but she knew she wouldn't be so lucky.

The mess hall was quiet that morning. Sae was in the back, clanking around some pots and pans, but most of the counselors were spread out across the long tables eating in relative quiet. No one was used to being up that early yet, and the muggy heat hanging in the room already promised a sweltering day. Effie had already posted a list of things she wanted to see accomplished before the campers arrived in a few short days and none of them were particularly easy tasks. But while Katniss wanted to eat her breakfast and drink her coffee in peace, Johanna had different ideas entirely.

Johanna had clearly given up on any form of subtlety.

"So you and Peeta talked, eh?"

Katniss sipped her coffee. "We spoke, yes."

Johanna huffed in frustration, slamming her plastic tray on the table. A few people turned to scowl over their shoulders, but no one really paid much attention to them that early in the morning.

Katniss hissed at her to be quiet.

"We spoke, and….and that's it, Jo. We talked about things like we needed to. Like we should have a long time ago."

Katniss let her eyes flick upwards at the exact moment Peeta chose to stride into the mess hall. He had a way of walking into a room that just made him seem so attractive, Katniss thought to herself. Peeta always managed to look somehow strong and confident with his squared jaw and wide shoulders, yet one look at his kind blue eyes and approachable smile and people were inevitably drawn to him. She was lucky to have had him, she realized.

And stupid to have lost him, a tiny part of her brain added.

But that didn't matter now. They had talked a few things out, become friends again, and there was zero awkwardness between them. Katniss looked down at her cereal, ignoring the scowls from Johanna. That wasn't entirely true. She wasn't sure how to react to him now after their kiss the night before. What was he thinking? They'd talked things out, everything was getting better and then….then he'd kissed her and bolted. Not just any kiss, either. A hot, needy, pulsing kiss like the ones they'd shared after not seeing each other for a few weeks. A kiss that always wanted her leaving more.

She smiled to herself. Peeta, you sneaky devil in sheep's clothing….

"Something funny?"

"What?" she snapped out of her little reverie quickly as Johanna stared at her expectantly from across the table. "No," she sniffed, taking a large gulp of her coffee. She downed the rest, grabbed her tray, and gave her friend a quick smile before making her way to the trash bins. She could feel Peeta's eyes on her as she rushed out of the mess hall, but she tried to not let it bother her or make her do something embarrassing like trip and fall on her face.

Things were looking up – she just hoped they stayed that way.

She gripped the phone outside of the administrative offices. Normally she'd just go into Haymitch's office and use his, but his door was shut and she guessed he was probably in there still sleeping off his hangover. It was a stern and highly enforced rule at Camp Panem that everyone – counselors, junior counselors and campers all had to turn over their cell phones for the summer. Last summer it wasn't an issue for her as she didn't even own one, but this year it was much harder. It would have beem a nice way to secretly communicate with Peeta (if she had the need to) and to check on her grades from the last semester. She was still hoping that she'd managed to pull through to get the grades she should have gotten the semester before to qualify her for the money she needed.

Her mother sighed in exasperation on the other end of the phone.

"Nothing yet. I just see blank spaces where your classes are listed. So you're…still hoping to get the grades this time?"

Katniss sighed into the receiver. "Yes. I really want to transfer mom."

"Is this just for the boy?"

"No," she mumbled. "It's a good school. They do their clinicals at Capitol Hospital….it's the best school of Nursing and clinical program in the state. I need to go there for me. Peeta would just be….and added bonus."

"Or distraction."

"Mom….we dated an entire semester last year and I got practically straight A's. I think he would be a motivation, if anything."

"Fine, fine. Call me back in a few days….I'll keep checking."

"Will you call Haymitch's office if they get here? He'll get me a message to call you."

She hung up after getting her mother to grudgingly agree to call Haymitch if her grades were somehow posted within the next few days. Katniss supposed this was one of those cases where no news could possibly be considered good news.

With a sigh, she leaned against the wall outside Haymitch's office, slumping down as she twisted the ancient phone cord around her fingers. This may as well be purgatory, she thought. It seemed useless to continue to mend things the way she wanted with Peeta if she was only going to fail again and put them through another semester of misery. She'd worked so hard all year – failure a second time didn't seem like much of an option. The one thing Peeta had wanted was for her to transfer schools so that they could be together. How could she fail him a second time? One look into those charming, hopeful boyish blue eyes and she'd be a goner.

A few feet down, Effie's door came flying open with a bang, making Katniss jump. The blonde camp coordinator gave her a surprised look, but quickly replaced it with a uniform Effie Trinket smile. Katniss watched her straighten her Camp Panem polo shirt and flatten down the sides of her hair. The back of her blonde waves were sticking up suspiciously, and her normally pristine shirt was slightly wrinkled. Effie's face was clear of any sort of makeup and she didn't reek of her normal perfume.

"Katniss! Good morning to you! What are you doing over here so…early dear?"

Katniss stammered as she tried to piece together the mystery of Effie's bedraggled appearance and still somehow be polite to her supervisor.

"Uhm….I was just…calling my mom. To check on my grades from this semester," she finally managed to blurt out.

"How nice," Effie trilled, gracefully navigating down the hall towards her. "Are you ready to start the day? Come, we'll walk down to the meeting point together."

Not accepting no for an answer, Effie grabbed Katniss's arm and firmly pulled her down the hall. Katniss glanced over her shoulder, eyes widening as she caught Haymitch slink out of Effie's office when he thought the coast was clear. She quickly smirked at the older man over her shoulder before following along behind Effie. She had to cover her mouth to surprises the giggles as she realized that the back of Effie's hair was indeed matted and sticking straight up…as if she'd just spent some time on her back, pressed up against something.

"Now," Effie continued, completely oblivious. "I'm going to have you girls work on whitewashing the fences this morning, followed by an afternoon of helping me plant some flowers around the main buildings…we need to spruce this place up for the campers!"

Katniss cleared her throat and nodded as they walked down the path towards the flagpole where they would all gather to hear the morning announcements and get their assignments for the day.

"We'll get this place cleaned up in no time! I can't even tell you how miserable it is to spend a drab, freezing cold winter up here with no one to keep me company but that grumpy old fool Haymitch. But, we'll get it done and ready for the campers. The schedule is a bit of a bear, but I think we'll manage," Effie rattled on as they walked.

Katniss could only smirk.

A few hours later, she gripped the paintbrush in her hand as she tried her best to focus. She was supposed to be whitewashing the fence around the pool with Annie, but that was proving a difficult task. Not the whitewashing itself,– rather, focusing on whitewashing the damn fence and not glancing over her shoulder every few minutes to watch as Peeta struggled to get the weed whacker started. He was at least twenty yards away from where they were working for the morning, but she swore she could see every muscle in his arms and back ripple as he yanked on the starter cord every few minutes. The nearly ancient piece of equipment would sputter and choke a few times before inevitably dying, but if anyone had the knowhow and patience to fix it, it was Peeta.

Katniss swallowed the dryness in her throat as she dipped her brush into the whitewash again. Peeta was wearing a pair of thin athletic shorts that clung to his shapely behind every time he bent over to inspect the machine. His shirt didn't leave much to the imagination either – he wore an old t-shirt with the arms and most of the sides cut out. Normally she's scoff at the thing, wondering why someone would even bother to wear a shirt if that much of it was cut out, however…Peeta made her alright with it. Every time he would bend and twist she could sneak a peek at the pale muscles of his side and arms. He was pale now, but she knew his skin would grow slowly bronzed like hers as the summer went on. She could remember the hint of sunburn on his shoulders and the way his blonde hair had grown even paler in the summer sunlight last year.

She turned her attention to back to the fence. Up and down her brush went, flicking small droplets of the whitewash every which way. Beside her, Annie's smooth brush strokes looked about a hundred times more even and tidy. She just couldn't focus. Not with Peeta so nearby, looking so tempting and familiar in an entirely new and exciting way. A few more minutes went by of her painting in a comfortable silence with Annie. Finnick's kind, quiet girlfriend was a peaceful companion on her frazzled nerves.

"Not a bad job for the day," Annie said finally, offering her a soft smile.

"Nope," she agreed shortly.

Katniss glanced over her shoulder as Peeta's patience finally won the battle with the rickety old weed whacker. It came gurgling to a start, the smell of fumes and gasoline filling the hot air. She watched him smirk to himself as he began carefully edging the freshly mown grass around trees and buildings nearby where she was working. His arms worked their magic, bending and flexing as he worked. Katniss let out a sigh before she could stop herself.

"I thought you were on a break?" Annie's voice cut through her thoughts.

Katniss' head snapped around. "What?"

"You heard me. You were on a break. Is that still the case?"

Katniss brushed some sweat off her brow, effectively smearing a glob of white paint across her forehead.

"Shit…erm, no. I mean…I'm not sure."

Annie didn't pry. She merely turned her attention back to their work, smoothly brushing on another coat of whitewash. Katniss frowned and glanced over her shoulder at Peeta again. If she was going to talk to anyone about her situation with Peeta it would be Prim, but Prim was busy helping Sae and Rue get the kitchens cleaned and sanitized. Annie was quiet – not a gossipy thing like some of the other counselors she shared a cabin with.

"We talked about things. I'm not sure either one of us wants to stay on this break or whatever it is," she finally muttered.

Annie kept working, but nodded to show she was listening. Katniss wasn't sure how she could date someone as goofy and talkative as Finnick and get a word in edgewise, but the two of them seemed to make it work.

"It was my idea to do it. I panicked after I found out I couldn't transfer and I just…I don't want to be on a break anymore. It's so stupid…how did I ever think that would work?"

"People make mistakes," Annie mused quietly, dipping her brush into the bucket.

"I made the end all of mistakes. I fucked it up so huge…" she groaned, shaking her head. "I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this. All I wanted was to be at the same place as Peeta and not disappoint him. And now…now we're broken up and both miserable."

Annie glanced over at her, her green eyes wide with concern. "Was he still upset about it?"

Katniss shrugged. "He….he knows I make hasty decisions. And not usually well. But he didn't seem mad. Especially not after we talked. Just hurt, and confused I guess….which I can't blame him."

"How did you end things then? When you said goodnight?"

Katniss couldn't control the tiny smile that appeared on her lips. Annie caught it – and smiled herself.

"He kissed me," she admitted slowly.

Annie's smile broke into a large grin. "Then I'd definitely say there's hope. Don't be stupid, Katniss. Just follow you heart and I'm almost positive it will lead you back to Peeta. I would bet on it."


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54: June 10th

Peeta

A day passed since he'd kissed her. Then two days. On the third day, Peeta began doing what he seemed to do best: he began second guessing himself.

He probably shouldn't have grabbed Katniss and attacked her like he had, but what other choice did he have? They were apart and he was miserable. Grabbing her outside of her cabin had made sense at the time, but now….now in the light of day he wasn't sure. They'd exchanged tentative but flirty glances throughout what Effie had dubbed 'Camp Panem Glorification Period', or what Haymitch simply called, 'work week'. Every day he spent mowing grass, panting siding, trimming hedges, and doing whatever else Effie ordered – all the while thinking about Katniss and that kiss. He thought about their talk at the docks too, but honestly that was all a blur. All he could think about was the way her lips felt against his and how good it had felt to push the talking aside and just act.

She'd apologized for breaking up with him several months before – she'd sounded sorry, like the whole thing had been one big, spiraling mistake. Which was definitely how he viewed it. But she'd looked remorseful and sincere and awkward and just so much like herself that it was endearing. She hadn't sounded like herself that rainy spring night several months ago in her mother's driveway. He had driven to her house to pick her up on the last night of his spring break and they had eaten an awkward dinner with his parents before he took her back home. She'd been riled up at some passive aggressive comment his mother had made about her not getting her scholarship and the rest of the evening had passed on pins and needles. It was one of the worse nights of his life.

He put the car in park, letting it idle in her mother's driveway. He had to go back to school the next day, but her spring break was just beginning. Which sucked. It would have been nice to have an entire twelve day vacation to spend together, but that was yet one more joy of going to two different schools.

Peeta glanced over at her, watching her side profile in the dark car. The windows were fogging up slightly from their warm breaths against the cool night air – so far spring had been slow coming.

He just wanted summer – he wanted to be with her every day, see her at camp with her summer tan and hear her voice – not just over the phone.

"I can't believe you told your mom the whole story," Katniss finally muttered, picking at her cuticles. She sighed angrily. "That was so embarrassing, Peeta."

"Why? Why was it embarrassing?"

"You mom just….she brought up the fact that I didn't get the scholarship. At dinner!"

"She was just…making conversation," Peeta insisted. He'd told his mother about Katniss efforts to get straight A's that semester in an attempt to assure his mother he wasn't letting his schooling fall to the wayside as an effect of his relationship with Katniss. His mother was constantly harping at him to study as hard and as much as he could and not let other 'distractions' get in the way of his future. That wasn't the case and he knew it – his weekend visits and late night phone calls with Katniss were a motivator, if anything. He wanted to do well in school so that Katniss would be proud of him and want to be with him. She pushed him to work harder – he wanted to be worthy of the girl that would get straight A's just to be closer to him. He'd also been confiding in his mother as well, hoping to let her know that Katniss' character was something that set her apart from other girls. Of course the two of them got along, but his mother had a cold way of subtly reminding him that she thought her son could do better when it came to girlfriends, but Peeta didn't care. He just wanted the two most important women in his life to get along.

"She didn't mean to bring it up to embarrass you, she was just wondering about… whether or not you'd be going to my school in the fall-"

"-She wanted to point out that I didn't make it. That I wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough to get the grades to get into your school and I wasn't good enough for you."

"That's not what she was saying, Katniss. My mom….my mom would find something wrong with anything, that's just…the way she is. She's always been like that – nothing is ever right to her. She's…nitpicky."

"I got the memo," Katniss snapped. "She's never liked me. Tonight just solidified that in my mind. I'll never be good enough for her son."

"Katniss…"

"Peeta, she's right. I busted my ass last semester to try to get that scholarship and I failed. I'm a failure."

"You are not."

"I am too. Why did I ever think I was going to get that? What made me think things were actually going to work out and I was going to get what I want? That never happens," she sighed, leaning against the car door.

Peeta stared forward, not sure how to react. Katniss had been like this since January – ever since she'd not gotten he grades she'd needed, she'd been one ball of self-deprecating negativity. It wasn't hard to tell why – she'd wanted to transfer to be with him and it just hadn't happened. It sucked, sure, but…he didn't think it was the end of the world like she did. Summer was almost there and soon they would see each other every day at camp. He didn't understand what the issue was but Katniss couldn't seem to get past it.

"I hate this," she sighed.

"What?"

"Feeling like I disappointed you."

"You didn't."

"Oh, so you don't want me to be with you?"

"Of course I do, Katniss, that's not what I'm saying, I-"

"Just say it Peeta, say it. If you don't' want me to transfer, then just admit it!"

"I never said that, I never said I didn't want-"

"It's obviously not going to happen-"

"-Would you stop saying that? If you have that attitude of course it's not going to happen, if you just-"

"I can't do this anymore, I….I just hate all this pressure, this bullshit pressure to just…I can't."

"What are you saying, Katniss? I've never pressured you to change or to transfer-"

"Peeta, that's crap! You do it all the time! I can't…I can't deal with this anymore. I need for it to just stop for just one fucking second…I need….I just want a break from it all."

"From what? What are you saying, Katniss? Am I part of the problem, or...or…"

"From what? From this, this constant bubble of pressure and studying and existing and just….life! I want to take a break."

Someone coughed, breaking him out of his trance. That night in his car several months ago had replayed in his mind over and over since it happened. How could he have let that happen? He wasn't sure. Sometimes it felt like a dream. Like a bad dream he couldn't wake up from. Katniss had been too hard to talk to after that – she almost hadn't wanted to even look at him or hear him talk after she'd declared she needed a break from it all. She'd gotten out of the car, closing the door softly before disappearing into her mother's dark house. He'd driven home after that and climbed into his bed at home to stare up at the ceiling. Finally close to 2am, he'd gotten a text from her.

I'm sorry. I can't be myself right now and be what you need.

He'd sat up in bed and stared at the words on the screen.

I don't need anything. Just you. But I love you and I'll give you what you need – if that's a break, then I'll leave you alone.

He'd held his breath until she'd responded next.

We will talk at camp. I need to focus on school. Thank u for understanding.

He jumped when Gale tapped his arm with the bottle of coca cola. Effie was droning on and on about how the campers would be there soon – she liked to have them meet for nightly huddles by the flagpole to go over the progress of that day's work and the work they still had yet to do before the campers arrived in a few short days. Everyone was standing around, looking hot and bored and sweaty as they all silently pleaded for her to just shut up. The whiskey helped. Peeta smirked before taking a rather long pull of it, trying not to wince at the taste of the cheap whiskey Gale seemed to favor spiking his Cokes with.

"Where did you learn to drink this stuff?" he whispered, wiping his mouth.

Gale didn't look away from Effie, feigning that he was paying attention to her speech.

"Old man used to drink it. Was always a fan of Black Velvet," he snickered. "Whiskey of champions."

"Hey, pass that down," Thom pleaded quietly, ducking behind Cato's tall head. Peeta took another pull of the heavily spiked Coke and passed it down the line to Thom, swatting at a mosquito as it buzzed around his head. He hadn't even been back at camp a week and he had more mosquito bites than he did fingers and toes. He was glad he'd thought to bring more calamine lotion that year than the year before.

"Someone's flagging ya," Gale whispered, elbowing Peeta's side. Glancing over, he realized Katniss was discretely waving at him from behind Effie as she yapped about the importance of mowing straight lines in the fields.

He frowned as she tried to mouth something to him. She was trying to do it surreptitiously so that no one would notice, her mouth moving in silent words. She mouthed something to him but he didn't catch it. Peeta glanced at Gale in question. Gale just shrugged and took another pull from his Coke bottle.

What? He silently asked.

Soccer field, she mouthed. Katniss pretended to scratch her ear as he watched her behind the rest of the group. Her grey eyes moved around the circle of camp counselors as they listened to Effie's end of the day speech. Everyone looked hot, bored, and tired – and most importantly, no one was paying any attention to her.

Time? He mouthed.

Nine, she answered.

He nodded subtly, hoping no one saw that. They'd been to the soccer field to fool around many a time last summer, but he doubted that was what she was getting at. He hoped, but he doubted.

Effie finally finished up her speech, clapping triumphantly.

"Wonderful day, camp counselors! We'll get this little mountain shaped up and ready for campers in no time. Now, all together," she urged, waving her arms enthusiastically at them. Peeta sighed, trying not to look too bored as he repeated the camp's mantra with Effie. A chorus of unamused voices droned along with her high pitched squeal of 'Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever!"

He snuck out of his cabin a little earlier than nine. He wiped his mouth and checked his breath – he smelled like whiskey still, but he didn't think Katniss would mind. The liquid courage from Gale was appreciated even though he was far from drunk. His hands shook slightly as he made his way up towards the soccer fields. A slight detour past Effie's cabin ensured she was asleep – the lights were low and he was sure she was exhausted from a hot day of running around and chanting the camp mantra at them for motivation. A little slinking around the main hall found him Haymitch, who was drunkenly squinting at a fishing magazine by the light of a mosquito lantern while sipping his flask in a hammock behind his cabin. It wouldn't be long before he was out like a light, Peeta guessed.

Satisfied, he made a loop back toward the open field where he'd promised to meet Katniss. Looking around, he tried to make sure no one had spotted him sneaking around the camp after dark. He missed his cell phone he'd had to surrender on the first day – texting her would have been so much easier than just hoping no one saw them arranging their date to meet on the field at nine.

Whatever, he thought. If someone saw them, they saw them. What did he care of someone spied them together? Maybe it was the fact that it was finally summer, maybe it was the whiskey, or maybe it was just because he missed her so damn much. Either way he was finished behind cautious and caring what anyone thought or what they knew about them.

He just wanted Katniss back.

Jamming his hands into the pockets of his basketball shorts, he ambled onto the darkened soccer field. The wide expanse of sky twinkled with so many stars it almost made him dizzy to look at for too long. He loved being up there – the fresh air, the wide open spaces, and the smell of pine and freshly cut grass put him at ease. He'd associated Camp Panem with good things for so long. He was ready to have that feeling again.

Turning, he watched the outline of Katniss' form walk onto the field. She ambled towards him, her braid swinging slightly at her side as she made her way out to the middle to meet him.

"Hey," she said softly. The starlight allowed him to see a brief glimpse of her smile.

"Hey," he offered back.

There was an awkward silence.

"Am I in trouble?" He asked, giving her a grin.

"What? For what?"

"The other night. Sorry if people on breaks don't do that."

"What? Talk?" she was clearly confused.

"No," he laughed. "Attack each other. Kiss."

She smirked. He realized she was barefoot as she stood there in the grass, her jean cut off shorts and worn, navy blue t-shirt making her look beautiful and yet effortless at the same time. Even in the dim light he could see the way her already olive skin was steadily turning bronzed in the few days she'd been back at camp.

"I wasn't really upset," she admitted, hooking her thumbs into the belt loops.

"Yeah?" he teased. "What were you then?"

She laughed and looked away. "Why did you do that Peeta?" she chuckled. "I was awful to you that night in your driveway and then you come back here and kiss me like that?"

Peeta shrugged. "We said our apologies. We talked it through. We're here. We promised to talk once we got here, but I guess I…I figured we'd talked enough," he said honestly. He felt like honesty was zipping through his veins. Then again, maybe that was Gale's whiskey talking again.

Katniss was quiet for a moment, her face twisted into a smirk. A tree frog squawked in the distance. Another answered it, joining the already singing crickets as they stood there on the field.

"Maybe we have, maybe we haven't. Are you still upset with me?"

He shrugged. "Depends I guess."

"On what?"

Peeta sighed, glancing up at the sky. The night felt so peaceful, yet on the inside he was a tumultuous mess.

"On how long you want to play things like this. This 'break', or whatever it is. It doesn't make a bit of difference to me what you want to call it really."

"Peeta…"

He looked back at her and sighed. "It doesn't, Katniss. It doesn't matter. Because I still feel for you what I did before that night and I'm pretty sure you do too. So you didn't get it. So what? Fifty miles doesn't make an ounce of difference to me, Katniss. I'd drive it twice a day to see your face if I had to. People break up every day, and for much more senseless reasons than we did. It doesn't make any difference anymore Katniss. Not to me it doesn't."

"It wasn't senseless," she interjected, her face growing serious. "I cared for you and I didn't feel like…at the time, I could…be what you needed. Ever since we met last summer I promised myself that I would be good to you because you deserved it and you're one of the best people I'd ever met. You have the kindest heart I…" she stopped to take an emotional breath, "you should be with someone that can love you and treat you as wonderful as you treat them. That's just how you are. I didn't' feel like I could be that person for you at the time and….and it was a mistake."

"So why then? Why do it?"

"That wasn't fair for you, Peeta. I wanted to be fair to you because you'd been so good to me."

"Fair?" he sighed. "It didn't feel fair. It felt miserable. But I'm past it. It doesn't matter to me anymore."

"It should though."

Peeta gave a frustrated laugh. "Why are you not willing to let this go? I'm ready to forfeit."

"Because it's important to me that you understand why I did what I did. It feels wrong for you to just…I don't know, just let me off the hook so easily. I didn't do that to you from a bad place, from a mean place. I did it because I cared and I'm stupid and I do and say mean shit when I'm backed into a corner. I know that about myself and you can't deny it."

"You're not stupid," he argued.

The crickets chirped around them as they stood in the middle of the soccer field, staring at each other.

"But what I said was. And I don't want you to just push it aside and say everything is okay because you miss me. You miss what we had. What I said to you and how I acted wasn't okay. It was far from it. I won't let you forget that and forgive me just because you're a kind person who doesn't like conflict."

"And you do?"

"No," she answered firmly. "I hate it. But you're too quick to forgive."

He snorted. "So now you're angry because I'm too forgiving?"

She sighed exasperatedly. "No, Peeta. I want you to not just forget the way I hurt you. I haven't forgiven myself and I know you haven't either. I can see it when you look at me."

"You see what?"

"That you miss me, and that…that I hurt you."

"So then don't hurt me. Don't do this anymore. Just be with me, and earn back my trust and I'll give you the slow, fight-for-it forgiveness you deserve, even though you don't think you do. Will that work? Shit Katniss, I don't know what you want from me anymore. I just want to love you again….the way I'm supposed to."

She gave him a miserable look, her eyes laced with sadness in the darkness.

"I…I just want to deserve it the next time you say that you love me," she sighed, wiping her eyes with her hands. She sniffed and he realized she was crying.

Peeta gave an exasperated little laugh. Katniss Everdeen was almost more than he could handle but he would never stop trying, he realized. If he could ever convince this girl that she deserved the way he felt about her it would be too soon.

Stepping forward, he pulled her into his arms and into a tight hug. He could smell her Dove soap and green apple shampoo as he embraced her. She was stiff at first, but after a few moments and squeezes he felt her relax into him and bury her face against the front of his t-shirt. Within seconds it felt like they were one again.

"Peeta…" she sniffed again, her arms hugging him desperately. "I missed you."

He fought his own urge to cry as he held her. It felt like it had been years since he'd felt her body molded so tightly with his own.

"Katniss," he whispered into her hair, "I love you. And if I have to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you deserve it, then so be it."


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 52: June 10th – Part II

He hugged her for another moment, letting her cry herself out. Katniss always did that – bottled her emotions up inside until they all came pouring out. He'd only seen her cry a few times in the course of a year of their relationship, so he knew she was due for an emotional release of some sort. Of course he could tell her not to bottle these things up and to let them out and feel, but he knew better. Katniss wasn't like most girls with the emotions on their sleeves, always advertising every minute pitfall and annoyance. She was private and guarded. But once someone got to know her and get around the walls she'd built up around herself, she was more than worth it. Peeta had been behind her emotional walls once, he realized. Now he just needed to get back to that place.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Even in the darkness he could see her splotchy cheeks and worn out expression as she pulled away from him. She took a few shaky breaths and gave him a crooked smile.

"I'm sorry," she stated firmly, jamming her hand back into the pockets of her jean shorts. "I didn't mean to-"

"-don't be," he interrupted. "I still love you, Katniss. Even the part that acts like she doesn't deserve to cry every once in a while. I wish you'd believe that."

She let out a cross between a laugh and shaky exhale. "You shouldn't love me. It doesn't make sense for you to love me, not with everything I've put you through."

"Stop," he demanded gently, reaching for her hand. Prying it out of her pocket, he wove his fingers with hers. "Don't say things like that."

She gave him a defeated look. "Fine. I'll stop with it. I'm-"

He was sick of talking and apologizing and rehashing the whole thing over again. He took her other hand and held them both in his, drawing her almost roughly against him. Nothing good came from talking, he figured. He was switching to actions.

He pressed a finger against her lips, silencing her. "Shhh…we've said our sorries, Katniss. That's not what you invited me here to do, is it? Repeat how sorry we are? How we screwed this up?"

His eyes searched hers, which were swimming with uncertainty. She was clearly battling herself on this, he knew it.

"Maybe…maybe we can start over then? And…build back what we had. I mean….I miss you, Peeta, but I can't expect you to just jump back into what we had, not with what I did to you."

"You want to start over?" he asked, gripping her hands. His body was thrumming with anticipation and need, and he was positive hers had to be doing the same. "I want to pick up where we left off. Screw starting over and building up. I…I feel like if I stay away from you one more second I might explode."

"Peeta," she whispered, her voice cracking. Her eyes brows rose in surprise. "What are you –"

He cut her off by firmly grasping her face and drawing it to his in a crushing kiss. His mouth against hers was clumsy at first, his lips stumbling to find the perfect angle. It was like riding a bicycle though – shaky at first, but after a few seconds he found his way and slanted his mouth against hers in a kiss that was so searing and passionate it made her stop resisting. It felt like leaning backwards with no hands on the handlebars and soaring down a hill. It felt exhilarating after all that time. Her hands dropped to her sides as he kissed her, a tiny moan of shock and approval coming from her throat. He kept one hand on her jaw and dropped the other hand to pull her hips flush with his, forcing her body to mold against his. She was through fighting him. He could sense she'd given up trying to argue her way around the two of them.

"Haymitch is passed out in his hammock. Effie already went to bed," he panted between kisses, pushing his tongue past her teeth. She kissed him back harder, another whimper sounding against the night air. Peeta felt her hands on his waist, gripping his t-shirt. The trepidation was still there, but it was mixed with something else – need.

He broke away, gasping for breath. "I need you," he panted, tilting her head up to look at him. Katniss blinked, her grey eyes bright. "We can be good and go slow and do whatever you want Katniss, but just…don't do this to me. I need you," he repeated.

"Peeta…"

"I don't care, I'll be the first to say it."

She gazed up at him. "You're sure? You're absolutely sure?"

He nodded.

Katniss watched him carefully, as if she was trying to tell if he was being serious or not. Peeta felt like a tightly wired coil, ready to spring at any moment. He was almost certain she was feeling the same way but there was a hesitancy there that was holding her back. Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he held his breath as she leaned up and resumed their kiss. Peeta's hands gripped her hips before slowly roving downwards to squeeze her bottom and make her arch against him. Whatever she would give him, he would take. It had been too long.

She surged forward, gripping his jaw and pulling his mouth against hers as he had done to her. It was rough and needy and fevered, the disquiet between them long forgotten. It was replaced with an outpouring of raw lust that sent a jolt through his bones. He could feel her slightly sweaty fingers tracing his jawline and the days' worth of growth that was there. Before he knew what was happening, she was pulling him down into the grass of the soccer field. He was glad he'd thought to check that Haymitch was well on his way to passing out before he came down to meet Katniss – he didn't want any interruptions right now. He thought of the way the old drunk had laughed gleefully while flipping on the lights of the soccer field to reveal a half-naked Cato and Clove the other night. No, that wouldn't be good. They should be safe for now he reasoned, and the thrill of the unknown only made him harder. But did she want this, he wondered? Did this go against her request to start over and be good and take things slow?

He knew he should stop and ask, but her roving hands and throaty moans were the most welcoming things he could think of. Brain power ceased, cutting off most logical thought and decision making as all of the blood in his body seemed to rush to his groin and make him care about little else.

Peeta panted as the rough, freshly cut grass rubbed against his knees. The summer night was hot and he was beginning to sweat from both the heat and from the intense make out session they were currently in the middle of. When her fingers began pulling the fabric of his shirt up over her head he could barely find it in him to protest. Her shirt followed, and before he knew it he was fumbling with the button on her worn cut offs. All he could think about was being naked and having every inch of his skin against her skin. It was a dizzying thought in the late night heat.

More clothes came off, one twisted, yanked off piece and then another. He sighted shakily against her mouth as he crouched between her legs. Taking one moment to let his eyes rake over her body in the pale light, he caught her eye and smiled. Her hands shook slightly as she reached for him, hooking them over his shoulders and pulling him so that he covered her body with his.

He felt exposed so out in the open, but it also made him feel like this was the most exhilarating night of his life. Every nerve ending on his body was hyperaware of everything that was happening. His erection dug into the soft skin of her stomach and her nipples were hard against his. The grass rubbed against his knees as he knelt between her legs and exhaled against her chest before lowering her his mouth to kiss her somewhere other than her mouth. She smelled like Dove soap and sunblock as he breathed her in between kisses. The skin of her chest was slightly damp with sweat but it only reminded him of the way she smelled back in his dorm room during the nights when they did nothing but stay pressed together under the blankets and make each other come as many times as they possibly could. They were memories he'd always cherished, but they were also memories he wanted to add to.

Peeta slid his hand down her side, timing it so that he grazed her sex and lightly tongued one of her nipples at the same time. Katniss gasped out in surprise, a shudder rocking through her body.

"Yes," she said, her voice a choked whisper.

He went further the next time – taking the tip into his mouth and then pushing two fingers on either side of her clit. Her back arched, urging him on.

"Did you miss this?"

She laughed hoarsely. "Did you? Oh…."

He pressed his hardness against her hip, driving it into her skin. She was trying to be cocky and cute, but his ministrations seemed to be keeping her from doing much. Katniss moaned softly beneath him, her voice breaking.

"Does it seem like I did?"

"Uhhh…" she groaned as he found a rhythm against her sensitive bud, using her wetness to aide his touches. Using his lips and teeth on her breasts and just enough friction and attention with his fingers, Katniss was unraveling beneath him in a matter of minutes. She seemed to explode faster than anything he'd ever seen.

He needed to be inside of her. He needed to feel her warm, wet, welcoming walls around him and he needed it soon. It was clear where all of this was heading –they were together again, they still loved each other, and most importantly, they'd missed this – getting lost in one another and finding the bliss in their release.

Peeta reached up, lightly tracing a finger down her cheekbone.

He felt like a cad asking, but he wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

"You still on the pill?"

She nodded. "I never stopped, Peeta. I….I wanted this to happen when I came back to camp."

He stared at her for several moments, trying to read his face. Lifting her head, she kissed him sweetly and offered him an unsure smile. "I really did."

"Me too."

She gave him an expectant look. "Well?"

He kissed her quickly, groaning as he parted his lips and tasted her once more. She'd wanted this to happen. He rejoiced in his head as he rubbed himself against her wetness. Katniss was so ready for him – he'd never seen her so turned on before in all the months they'd been doing this.

"Are you ready? Is this…okay?"

Katniss reached up, clasping his cheeks with her hands. "You always ask. No matter how wet I get or badly I need you, you always ask," she chuckled breathlessly. "Such a gentleman," she said with a crack in her voice. "Yes, Peeta, yes. Please."

He smirked in the darkness before carefully joining himself with her. A ripple of ecstasy stemmed from his cock and radiated up through his bones as he slid into her. She'd never felt this good.

Peeta fought back a strangled groan of approval as she let her legs drop open wider against the grass and welcome him back to the place where he belonged. His breaths were shaky and measured as he carefully thrust against her tight walls.

"It's been so long…"

"So long," he agreed. He lowered himself on top of her again, pressing his body against hers. Reaching behind her head, he slipped a hand beneath her braid and cradled her head. He watched her eyes widen slightly as he thrust against her, so painfully slow and deep it made his insides quiver. The threat of finishing too soon from being both so deprived and turned on that he had to be careful –he wanted this to last.

"Is this what you want?" she whispered, her breath catching slightly.

He thrust again. "Katniss, I want you. I always have."

"Peeta…"

"Is this us being good?" he teased breathlessly. Reaching up, he pushed a sweaty lock of hair away from her cheek. They were both glowing with perspiration in the dim light, but he didn't care. He could only focus on the one part of his body that was finally joined with hers. His other hand dug into the grass beneath his fist, fighting to maintain a steady friction that was enough to give her what she needed.

"What?"

"This. Is this us being good?"

Katniss let her head fall back against the grass and grinned. Her teeth were shockingly white in the moonlight as she smiled up over his shoulder at the night sky. She tried not to laugh as the crickets chirped around them, their calls echoing out across the grass. He watched her fail miserable as another laugh bubbled up from her chest and rang out.

"Uh huh. Wouldn't you hate to see us being bad?"

They laughed together, Peeta dropping his head to her breastbone to muffle the sound. They didn't want the noise of what they were doing to carry across the open soccer field. Once he regained some semblance of composure, he nosed his way down her chest to one of her puckered nipples. The night was hot and clammy, but the buds of her breasts were taught with tension. Peeta took one in his mouth, quickly swirling his tongue around it and letting his teeth lightly scrape her before moving to the next to execute the same action. With a desperate mewl she came again, her walls spasming around his cock in a fluttering mass of muscles and warmth. He slowed his actions, trying to give her some of the friction she needed to ride out her high. Her eyes grew unfocused and hazy as she stared up at the sky, her mouth falling open. He kissed the corner of her lips as she gasped for air.

"Oh my god," she laughed. "I'd forgotten…"

"Me too," he chuckled breathlessly. "Thanks for reminding me."

Katniss grinned coyly up at him. "I'll remind you of something else."

Katniss' legs wrapped around the back of his thighs, her taught muscles easily pulling him closer with each thrust. She stared up at him in the dim light, her eyes silently communicating you turn. Peeta buried himself completely. His body sang with relief, over and over again. They were them again. The past few months had made him feel so utterly alone, so bleak and empty but now, now they were back together and nothing felt like it could ever go wrong again. He grunted as his hands dug into the grass and his hips started thrusting harder and faster on their own accord. She simply felt like home. It was that thought that sent him tumbling over the edge. He spilled into her with jerky movements and rushed breaths, but she didn't seem to mind. He felt her hand touch his cheek as he rose up and drove his hips against hers in the final moments. Turning his face, he kissed her palm between gasps. Opening his eyes, he saw her grey, dilated pupils staring up at him with the starlight reflecting in her eyes. Nothing had ever felt more like bliss.

He was home.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56: June 15th

The night before the campers arrived, the counselors had a bonfire in one of the smaller fire pits that was down the short path behind the main hall. It was somewhat of a tradition, Katniss realized. They'd done it the summer before – only a year ago she'd spent half her time worrying that stupid Wiress girl was flirting with Peeta and worse, that he liked it. Of course he hadn't – he admitted to her later that he hadn't, but she could still remember feeling slighted as she'd sat by Gale and watched the gorgeous girl talking to her crush. She could still practically taste the cheap mixture of grain alcohol and Kool-Aid she's been drinking as she'd frowned at them. But she didn't have to worry about that this year, she realized. She and Peeta were back together and everything was almost back to normal between them. Glimmer and Wiress hadn't even returned back to camp that summer. Things were finally falling back into place.

It had been an interesting few days after their night together on the soccer field. Peeta swore up and down he'd forgiven her and just wanted to move on already and all of their friends didn't seem to question anything when they'd suddenly started speaking to each other again. Delly didn't even bat an eye or ask annoying questions last night when Peeta walked her back to their cabin after dinner at the mess hall and grabbed her face and planted a lingering kiss on her mouth. Katniss had been a bit dazed and surprised when he did it. Neither Delly nor Johanna had said a word to Peeta before he'd started laughing and walking back to his own cabin. No, people seemed absolutely fine with the idea of the two of them together again.

Katniss felt silly, really, when she thought of all the time they'd wasted the summer before pretending that they weren't dating. And for what? So Glimmer wouldn't have something to gossip and snicker about? It was ridiculous when she thought about it. Why had she cared so much about what people thought? She'd been a fool to want to hide what she had with Peeta. She'd been an even bigger fool to break up with him. He'd insisted she forget all about it the way he wanted to, but that was letting herself off the hook too easily for it. Just because he'd forgiven her didn't mean she was finished feeling senseless about it.

She chewed her nail and watched from her stump as the guys came tromping out of the woods with the arms full of brush and small twigs to help light the fire. Delly was mixing up a large cooler full of cheap Kool-Aid on a nearby picnic table and Haymitch was pretending not to notice Thom hanging around with a vodka bottle shaped bulge in the pocket of his cargo pants. The air smelled of pine, citronella, and lighter fluid as the boys and Johanna started the fire. Her friend caught her eye across the fire and practically jaunted over to her.

"How's it hangin', Brainless?" she asked, bumping her butt against Katniss' to make room on the log.

Katniss snorted, eyeing the dark haired girl. She moved over so that she could join her. "Fine, I guess. Nothing new."

"Didn't look like nothing the other night. I've been busy, tell me what's new with you. Tell me why lover boy dropped you at our cabin and practically tried to swallow your face the other night. Thought you two were 'on a break'," she trilled in a girlish voice while making air quotes.

Katniss rolled her eyes and snorted. It was clear that whatever unspoken grace period Johanna had been giving her to not drill her for information was over. "It was….nothing. The other night we just…just….met up and talked."

"Uh huh…looked like you'd done a bit of talking. Were those grass stains on your jean shorts, or….?"

"Shut the fuck up," Katniss laughed. "We talked. Worked out…some issues."

"More like banged them out, huh?"

"Do you want to know what happened, or do you just want to keep filling in the blanks with anything lewd that pops into your head?"

Johanna chuckled, elbowing her in the side. "Hmm, let's see if I remember…his crazy mother, the 'will you, won't you' of transferring schools, etcetera etcetera. So you made nice though?"

"Yes."

Johanna waved a bug away from her leg and sighed. "I hated seeing you fight. It's like watching Romeo and Juliet have a squabble. Just doesn't sit right," Johanna sighed, swatting away another mosquito. The nightly crickets were beginning to sing as the daylight continued to fade around the trees and the bugs were starting to bite. The air began to smell of bug spray as someone passed around a can of repellent. Katniss stared at her flip-flops.

"Uh, pretty sure they died in the play, did you ever finish reading that?"

"You know what I mean. I hated seeing you and lover boy fight."

"Peeta."

"Right, right. Well I hated it. You two belong together."

Katniss glanced up over the fire, watching as Peeta carried a large log over to the pit. His arm mucles flexed against the fabric of his shirtsleeve, the tan muscles twisting as he unloaded it onto the fire. His eyes glanced up and met hers, flashing with something that made her stomach twist with excitement. She briefly wondered if him looking at her ever wouldn't cause a reaction like that. Unable to help herself, she grinned. She didn't think so.

"I think so too."

Johanna eyed her sideways and sighed. "Just don't fuck it up again, Brainless."

After the year she'd had, being back at Camp Panem was uplifting. Sure it was hot and buggy and the work was never ending, but there was something she found she loved in the smell of bug spray and freshly cut grass. She inhaled the fresh mountain air and watched as her friends stood around the campfire telling stories of their last year of college. A lot had changed – people were older, their relationships had changed, and an entire year had passed, but…much remained the same. Rue was still delightfully shy but smiley, Finnick was flirtatious as ever, and even Cato still had a gleam in his eye like he was looking for a challenge. Things were the same but they weren't, she decided. But it felt so good to be back. All year she'd pined for summer to be here and suddenly she was in the midst of it. The past few days almost didn't feel real.

Peeta slipped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her lightly and bringing her back to the present. She melted into his side, clutching her cup to her chest and watching the flames dance in front of her. For once, she'd taken Thom up on his offer and let him slip something extra from his water bottle into the cup of lemonade she was sipping. Wincing slightly, she coughed. Whatever was in that water bottle of his really didn't belong in the same category as water.

"I missed this place."

"I did too," he sighed.

She glanced up at him in the firelight, watching as the flames gave his face a warm glow. The light seemed to catch the slight smattering of stubble on his jaw, making the golden hairs shine. "I missed you."

He turned to look at her, his eyes lighting up in the dim glow of the fire. His lips twitched before he clenched his jaw for a moment, flexing the jawline she so adored. "I think I knew that, but…it's nice to hear you say it," he replied, his voice suddenly quiet and almost bashful. How he managed to look so utterly fuckable one moment and so sweet like a little puppy the next was beyond her.

"I always miss you when you're not around," she sighed, frowning. Missing Peeta reminded her of school, and that reminded her of her grades. She hadn't heard from her mother all week and she wasn't sure if that was a bad sign or not. The urge to check her grades right after school got out had never been a top priority before, and she couldn't remember when they'd been posted last summer. This time last year she'd just escaped to Camp Panem and her life had changed forever after meeting Peeta. Grades had been the last thing on her mind last summer, yet they were the first thing that came to mind now. They seemed to consume her every thought. She didn't want it to be that way anymore. It was do or die. Fly or fall. She wanted to know either way. Biting her lip, she told herself she'd call her mother that weekend and demand to know the news. It was better than waiting in limbo, after all.

Peeta hadn't brought it up since they'd gotten back together – not once. Was it killing him, too, she wondered?

"Are you glad to be back?"

He inhaled deeply, glancing around the campfire as he scanned the familiar faces of their friends. "I am. I mean I wasn't sure how this summer would play out, what with what was going on with us and everything, but now that…you know, things are fine…" he trailed off. Peeta shifted his gaze back to her. "Are you thinking about school?"

She nodded, shrugging nonchalantly. Talk about school would only complicate things and make them both worry and dance around a much heavier conversation. She wasn't ready to do that just yet.

"I guess. But there isn't anything I can do until I know for sure."

"I agree. No use worrying until there's something to worry about, right?"

"Right. Hey, listen…" she replied coyly, licking her lips. "You want to pretend its last summer and go make out in secret behind my cabin?"

Peeta scanned the group of counselors around them, his blue eyes suddenly bright with a challenge. Cato was loudly telling a story of a drunken, end of the year frat party and Finnick and Thom were loudly interjecting with comments and playful jabs at him as everyone laughed and listened. "Think we can sneak away?"

"We have to," she shrugged, sliding away from his grasp. "After all, we're a secret," she tried to say with a straight face. Even though they were no longer a secret amongst the others it was still fun to joke about it.

Peeta seemed to play along. "A secret, eh?"

"Yes. Very. Top secret. Can't have the news of our naughty little romance getting out."

He grinned, shaking his head at her in the dim glow of the campfire. "Fuck," he laughed. "You're so…"

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," he chuckled. He gripped her arms playfully and shook her several times. "You drive me nuts sometimes you know that, right?"

"Counting on it," she grinned.

Peeta's tongue slipped out, lightly licking his lower lip. "Want me to go first?"

She nodded, hiding her laughter behind her cup. Maybe it was the spiked lemonade, maybe it was Peeta, or maybe it was the fact that it was finally summer – either way, she felt like finally enjoying herself.

Peeta gave her a discreet squeeze on her hip before whispering to her, "Meet you behind your cabin in ten." She watched him duck into the woods behind the woodpile that all the guys used as a bathroom when they were at the campfires. A thrill shot through her as she glanced around to make sure no one had noticed. They hadn't. She ambled over to Rue and Prim, making idle conversation as she waited for the minutes to pass. She asked Rue about her year at school, she asked Prim if she was ready for campers the next day, and she chewed on the edge of her cup until she was certain enough time had passed.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm uh…gonna go use a tree if you get what I mean," she said. Rue laughed and Prim just rolled her eyes as Katniss set down her cup and ambled towards the woods.

Gale appeared from behind a pine and took one look at her before he snorted and rolled his eyes. "Peeta went up towards the cabins, Catnip!" he said, making no effort to muffle his voice. "Keep it clean! PG rated and all that!" he called as she brushed past him and tromped into the woods with a huff. She heard a few catcalls aimed at her back as everyone surely heard Gale, but she just shook her head and laughed. Everyone knew where they had disappeared to, and no one cared – not even her.

Several minutes later, she'd hiked up through the woods via a shortcut to their sets of cabins. The boys' cabins were on the other side of the thicket of trees, further away from the rest of the camp than the girls'. Katniss broke quietly through the trees and onto the path in front of her cabin. The only light was coming from a yellow bulb on the front porch where moths were currently swarming. The crickets chirped happily as she made her way around towards the back.

"Peeta?"

She listened. Nothing but crickets.

"Peeta?" she called again. Just as she was about to turn around and head back towards the front of the cabins, a warm hand snaked around her forearm and yanked her back. She yelped in surprise before Peeta's hand covered her mouth and his soft chuckle filled her ears. He turned her, wrapping his body behind hers and pulling her against his chest. She gave a shaky exhale. His strong, solid, very warm chest, she realized. She felt a pang of need shoot through her as her body started to come alive. It was one thing to be near Peeta. It was quite another to have over half his body pressed suggestively against the back of hers. She tried not to let herself shudder with want as he held himself against her.

"Shhh…this won't be a secret make out place if you're screaming," he shushed her. She laughed against his cupped hand, relaxing into his hold. Peeta chuckled again before using his free hand to gently push her braid to the side. Katniss thought she would explode as his mouth slowly lowered to the curve of her neck. His kisses started out light and close mouthed, but soon turned lingering and hot. Several times his tongue darted out to taste her skin and she actually moaned out loud. Unable to stand it any longer, she turned in his arms and wasted no time latching her mouth shamelessly to his. Peeta chuckled against her lips, his strong hands grasping her sides as she teetered slightly.

"Easy there."

She laughed before kissing him again. The crickets chirped loudly around them, masking the sound of their joining and re-joining lips. His hands slid down her waist and his thumbs hooked their way up under her t-shirt. They began rubbing languid circles against her skin as his lips covered hers again and again. She barely noticed as he pushed her up against the back of the cabin. The ancient wood siding creaked under the weight as she leaned back against it and grinned at him.

Katniss glanced over her shoulders. "Any giant wolf spiders lurking here this year?" she asked, eying the wood with a speculative glance. She enjoyed nature and wasn't normally afraid of bugs, however, when they'd been using that spot to make out the summer before Peeta had almost pushed her up against a piece of wood decorated with one of the large but harmless spiders. She'd shrieked in surprise before he'd managed to calm her down and their cover had almost been blown right there.

He placed a hand behind her head and leaned closer with teasing eyes. "Just us, I'm afraid."

She smirked. "Good. Starting tomorrow we'll have all the company we need. Specifically around….oh, four hundred ankle biters running amuck through the camp."

"True, but we managed to avoid all that last year. We had to be sneaky," he replied, pressing his forehead to hers. He exhaled softly, rolling his skin against hers where their heads touched. "We can do it again. We just have to be careful and not let them catch us with our pants around our ankles."

Katniss narrowed her eyes at him. "Easy said than done Mellark. What if I want you with your pants around your ankles?"

She winked at him and he chuckled, clenching his jaw the way she liked. The hard lines were very easy to appreciate when he did that. She felt her insides tighten in response. She hoped their reunion on the soccer field a few nights ago was but a prequel to a summer of stolen, steamy moments like it had been the year before – only this year they wouldn't have to worry about hiding their relationship from the other counselors.

"I can do that," he replied, grinding his hips against hers in a suggestive, swirling motion. Katniss swallowed the ball that had formed in her throat and gave him a lazy smile before leaning in to kiss him again.

"I sure hope so."


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57: June 20th

Katniss took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. She was in over her head. It wasn't even noon yet and the mercury just kept climbing as the summer sun beat down on her. Her cheeks were surely already halfway sunburnt and she'd sweat through the pits of her t-shirt. At this rate she'd jump into the lake before lunch and might not resurface. Fanning herself with her clipboard, she shared a miserable look with Delly across the main lawn of Camp Panem. The blonde girl was trying to hold on to a screaming pair of twins as their parents ran for their minivan. All around her was a sea of nervous looking campers and their gleeful parents as the drop of day ensued. Scattered among the masses were harried looking counselors. A few feet away, Finnick trying to get his walkie talkie to function while two mothers hovered around him, ready to ask him a slew of questions.

"Just a minute….Haymitch? Haymitch? Is this stupid thing even on….?" He muttered. "Just a second ma'am, I'll be with you in just a second…"

If even Finnick looked slightly agitated, she couldn't imagine how she looked. She already dealt with her share of parents that morning and she knew she had a tendency to have what Prim so lovingly called a resting bitch face, and customer service wasn't exactly her strong suit. She hoped that wherever Peeta was, he was alright.

"I need a drink," she muttered to herself. "A really strong drink."

Another frantic looking mother hurried up to her, waving a piece of yellow paper in front of her. "Can you help us find our bunk? The paper says Cabin two, but that looks like its all-boys…." The mother yammered off.

Katniss took the piece of paper and read it, shaking her head. "You're down here with the girls…that's cabin two for the boys, cabin two for the girls is over to the left on the other side of the main hall."

The woman thanked her and shuffled her teenage daughter and all of her bags towards the main hall.

It was the first day of camp with campers present and it was insane. It was semi-organized chaos at best. It was like a warzone, but instead of bombs and gunfire she instead faced over packed suitcases, lost enrollment forms, and slap-happy parents who were free of their children for the summer.

Katniss couldn't have been more unprepared for the day. She'd woken up ate after she'd spent the rest of the evening with Peeta, pressed up against the back of a cabin with her shorts around her ankles. She was now the proud owner of more mosquito bites than she cared to mention and some kind of splintery burn on one shoulder blade. She smirked to herself. Maybe she'd had one too many pulls on her flask or maybe she was reveling in the idea of it being summer again; either way, things had quickly gone further than she'd anticipated and she wasn't the least bit sorry about the night before. The mosquito bites were worth it in her opinion. Peeta had coaxed her out of her shorts and dropped to his knees in front of her. Before she could protest, she'd had one flip flop-clad leg over his shoulder and was leaning back against the cabin as he dove between her legs and made her want to scream in ecstasy but she'd managed to bite it back. Instead she'd hobbled/balanced on one leg while Peeta's devilish tongue had done a job on her clit. Even as miserable as she was now, the bud of nerves throbbed between her legs as if to say, I remember too.

She absentmindedly ran her thumb over her swollen lip. She'd had to bite it several times the night before to remind herself to be quiet while Peeta had mercilessly attacked her with pleasure. Katniss raised her pencil eraser to her lips and bit down, smiling. Inside her freshly pressed khaki shorts, her thighs were squeezing together to help relieve the ache she felt. It was a good ache though. Being back with Peeta was like a cleansing breath of fresh air to her soul. Of course she'd missed him the last few months of school, but what she thought was simply missing his company was more than that. It was on a deeper level that she'd missed him and ached to hear his soft voice on the other end of the phone that could act like soothing balm to her frazzled nerves. She's ended things to be fair to him, but in the end she'd only made things harder on herself by doing it. Katniss thought her level of need for Peeta was selfish; it was wrong to depend on someone the way she relied on him. He was always the one saving her; paying for her phone, driving to come pick her up, being a willing ear when she had to vent about practically mothering a teenager from a distance. It had felt selfish to her to depend on him when she felt like she'd had so little to give to him in return.

Still chewing on the end of her pencil, she thought back to two nights before when they'd snuck off to the lake for a few minutes of privacy before the bonfire.

Katniss raised her feet, watching as the black water filtered through her toes and back into the lake. Glancing sideways, she watched as Peeta dangled his legs in the water beside her, snorting as he used one foot to gently shake off the curious nibbles of a tiny blue gill. The moonlight caught its silvery scales as it fluttered away under the water.

They were back together – the last few days had been a blur of needy kisses, frantic groping, and more than one hurried repeat of what had happened on the soccer field almost a week before. While their bodies healed each other and remembered the other's touch, Katniss knew they had more to discuss. They'd been sitting on the edge of the dock talking for almost an hour.

"Part of what made me so….insecure…is that I knew how much I relied on you. In my world, you don't get things for free; you have to pay for them in some way. I hated how uneven we always felt, Peeta… I guess…as nice as it was to have you do all of those nice things for me, it was just….it sucked to not be able to reciprocate."

She watched his side profile in the moonlight, hoping she hadn't offended him too terribly. She knew Peeta inside and out and knew that he didn't have even a slightly malicious bone in his body, but she still dreaded how he would take her words.

Peeta stared straight forward, out at the lake. "I didn't do those things so you'd reciprocate. I was trying to show you that I cared, that I wanted to take care of you for once. When we met last summer, and….you always talked about everything you did for your mom, and Prim, just to keep your family afloat…all I wanted to do was show you that it was okay to not be the one worrying about everything for once. I've never gotten to be the strong one, Katniss. I wanted you to lean on me and know that everything was going to be okay. At least…while we were together. It was nice to take care of someone. I didn't do it so you'd owe me anything."

"I know that…" she sighed, bobbing her feet in the water.

She loved Peeta, but sometimes she childishly hated his thoughtful moments of candor. It was in those moments that she was reminded just how pure his heart was. And that always inevitably led to her feeling like a piece of shit for smashing it to smithereens.

"I had the means, Katniss, so I wanted to help you. I didn't get you a phone or your necklace or the dinners so you'd feel like you were in my debt," he sighed. "I wanted to be a person you could depend on and show you that you don't always have to be the one providing. It felt nice to be…depended on. I just didn't realize how hard that was for you. To rely on me," he added softly.

She twisted her hands together and bobbed her feet in the water. "Not sure that's in my DNA," she admitted. "I knew it came from a good place, Peeta, I did….but it was hard to not feel like I owed you something. It felt selfish to take and take and feel like I had nothing to give back to you. Ever."

"That's not true," he said, leaning sideways to bump her shoulder. "You gave me things, they just weren't tangible in the same sense. You gave me confidence that someone could want me. That alone was worth all the money in my bank account, for what it's worth. When I came here last summer I was convinced no one would want me – ever."

"Why wouldn't anyone want you? That girl was crazy, Peeta. I met her, remember?"

"Yeah, well….I came to Camp Panem last summer feeling like gum on the bottom of a shoe. I felt like I'd been left out on the curb like a piece of garbage no one wanted. To come here and see you in all your…archery goddess-y glory making lovey eyes at me from across the mess hall-"

"-I did NOT!"

She shoved his arm and they both laughed.

"Agree to disagree, come on – I'm making a point here. I'm just saying that you gave me something that was more precious than anything I could have ever dreamed to get."

She smiled sideways at him. "And what's that?"

"Self-worth."

Peeta had a way with words – she'd always known that much. But that? That had made her tear up. She's kissed him then, sitting on the dock. A hard kiss; it begged for forgiveness and conveyed a gratitude that was insurmountable. Her tears had crossed to his cheeks, causing them both to have to wipe their faces when they pulled apart. She felt like they were stronger than ever.

"Good job today guys," she called, sliding her bow into its case. "Pick up every one of those arrows please! Even the ones behind the targets. Everyone turn in their guards. Thanks…."

She high fived a few of the campers as they cleaned up the shooting range and left, heading to their next activity. The burn in her shoulder blades and forearms was fresh and made her arms feel like jelly. It was a welcomed pain that came from too many months of neglecting her bow and targets. The feeling of notching the arrow and letting it fly, even if it was to impress a bunch of twelve year olds, was something she'd missed. The sound of the arrow slicing through the muggy air and landing on the targets with a satisfying thump was so satisfying. It was a stress reliever like none other. Mixed with the well-itched mosquito bites on her ankles and legs and the feeling of a fresh sunburn….it was good to be back at camp.

The first few days had been hectic.

Everyone was learning their schedules and dealing with sunburns and just generally settling into camp life still, but it felt good to be back in the swing of things. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she peeled off her wrist guards and settled her things into the locking bin off to the sides of the targets. She glanced at the lake, wishing she had time for a quick swim across the lake before dinner, but no such luck. She couldn't see the mess hall, but she could hear Effie's shrill voice echoing off the trees as she rang the old brass bell to call everyone to eat. "Dinner children! Come eat! Dinner!"

She hoped at least that it was honey mustard chicken night in the mess hall. Sae, or Greasy Sae, as the kids called her was nothing to look at but hell if she could cook. Her baked chicken patties smothered in a creamy honey mustard sauce and served on a bed of rice pilaf was a camp favorite. Mixed with a tall glass of red Kool-Aid and a piece of watermelon, you couldn't go wrong.

Katniss straggled up the path, practically panting in the June heat. Being the first few days of camp, she knew she needed to sit with her campers to help them socialize and to facilitate those cheesy getting to know you conversations Effie was always going on and on about, but she just wished she could sit with Peeta and lean on him as she ate her food.

She was pouting to herself and starting to thirst for a tall glass of Kool-Aid with a little something extra in it when the sound of flip flops hitting the ground at a fast pace made her raise her gaze. She frowned when she saw that it was Prim – red faced, braids flying wildly as she jogged, her worn flip flops slapping the worn path before skidding to a halt in front of her. Her cheeks were red from sun and exertion.

"Katniss," she gasped, clearly out of breath. "I….I just…"

"Prim, what the hell?" she muttered, ducking to see her little sister's splotchy, sweat covered face. "Why are you running in this heat? You'll drop over."

"I just…got off the phone…"

"Oh, you ran from Haymitch's office?" she groaned. "No wonder you look like you're about to die."

Prim gave her a death glare between her pants for air and put her hands on her hips. "I talked to mom, Katniss. She looked at your grades! You got them!"

The frown that had been etched on her face for most of the day slowly relaxed into a gaping look of utter disbelief.

"I did what?"

"You did it. Straight A's, Katniss. She logged in and saw them and you did it. You got what you needed to transfer!"

"You've got to be kidding me," she exhaled sharply, her eyes going unfocused. A few kids raced by on their way to dinner, screaming and threatening each other with sling shots, but she didn't bother to yell. She couldn't do anything but stare at Prim and wring her hands that were now shaking. "You…I….I did it. I really did it," she muttered.

"Yes now come on! You have to tell Peeta!"

X0x0x0x0x0x0x0x

She didn't think she would ever forget the look of pure elation Peeta gave her when she told him. Prim had run into the mess hall and pulled him outside in the middle of dinner to where Katniss was standing by the flag pole.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" he'd asked, his slightly sunburnt face creased with concern.

Prim squeaked and gave them a knowing smile before rushing inside the mess hall and leaving them alone.

"Peeta….Prim called my mom. She said I got straight A's. I got the grades," she'd told him.

Peeta had frozen for a moment before letting out a loud whoop of celebration and wrapping his arms around her middle. He'd lifted her up and smashed her to his chest until she couldn't breathe, and that's where she was now. Pressed up against his chest, her head nestled in his neck. She breathed in the smell; sugar, deodorant, a light bit of sweat, and a sweet musk that was just him. Closing her eyes, she smiled against his neck and kissed the skin lightly. Opening her eyes, she watched as he pulled back slightly, his bright gaze catching hers. "I really love you, you know that?"

She nodded. "That's part of why I did this," she said. Wrinkling her nose, she stepped back and looked up at him. She sobered slightly, shaking her head. There was something she needed to get off her chest. "But that's not the only reason I'm doing this, you know that, right?"

Peeta bobbed his head and watched her.

"I did this for you, yes….but I also did it for me. Your school has a much better nursing program and I wanted that for myself. I'll get to work in one of the best hospitals in the state after I graduate, and I can get the best teachers and education where you go. I want to see you every day, but I want you to know that I also did this for me…" she trailed off, her voice soft. She looked up at him expectantly. "Can you deal with that?"

"Of course," he nodded. "I get why you did it. Education first…but I'm an added bonus."

A laugh bubbled up in her chest, making her burst out. "Yes, yes you are. You know, I'm…I'm really looking forward to this Peeta. I know this has been a tough year, but…I couldn't have done it without you."

He snorted. "Well, technically you did go through part of it without me-"

She swung out and playfully slapped his arm at that. "-but if that's what it took to get where we are right now, then…I'm glad."

Leaning forward, he placed his lips on hers and kissed her softly. The crickets were starting to chirp all around them as the day faded, but she barely noticed.

"Dinner will be ending soon," he muttered against her cheek. "We can't be standing out here, making out in front of everyone."

Katniss rose up on her toes to drag her lips suggestively across his, earning a shudder from him as she did so. He smirked as she let her hand graze the front of his khaki shorts. "We should find a cabin to hide behind."

He burst out laughing, and she joined in soon after. She hugged him to her chest and rubbed her cheek against the Camp Panem emblem emblazoned on the front of his worn t-shirt.

"I feel like this is going to be the best summer of our lives."

"I think it's going to be much, much more than one summer, Katniss."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> I'm so sorry for the delay on this...I lost two family members within weeks of each other right before the holidays and I was just too bummed to do anything besides mope. I hope you'll all forgive me for the lack of updates/writing/responses. I was having a tough time and I just needed to find my writing voice again.
> 
> Second - thank you for reading this fic. I'm considering doing an epilogue - would you read one if I wrote it? I have a few ideas, but...if you are happy with this ending, I won't upload it. Epilogue, no epilogue?
> 
> Last - I going to be uploading a new fic here shortly. I have two in the works; one Modern day AU, one more Hunger Games/Canon-ish...no games, but set in District 12...what would you guys prefer to read from me next? I plan to eventually post both, but I really only want to start one at a time.
> 
> Thank you for reading and joining me on this smutty adventure! Please review!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh! It's here! The sequel to Cruel Summer! I cannot thank you enough for reading and following and getting so excited for this fic over on Tumblr/twitter. I love my readers!
> 
> That said, this fic will be rated 'M' for a reason. I don't want to offend anyone who doesn't prefer that or is younger, but this fic really focuses on both their emotional and physical relationship. Emphasis on the physical, simply because I'm a perv when it comes to The Jaw ; )
> 
> Please review and let me know what you think! : )


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